AUTHOR=Thijs Sofie , Sillen Wouter , Truyens Sascha , Beckers Bram , van Hamme Jonathan , van Dillewijn Pieter , Samyn Pieter , Carleer Robert , Weyens Nele , Vangronsveld Jaco 

TITLE=The Sycamore Maple Bacterial Culture Collection From a TNT Polluted Site Shows Novel Plant-Growth Promoting and Explosives Degrading Bacteria

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2018

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2018.01134

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2018.01134

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=Military activities have worldwide introduced toxic explosives into the environment with considerable effects on soil and plant-associated microbiota. Fortunately, these microorganisms, and their collective metabolic activities, can be harnessed for site restoration via in situ phytoremediation. We characterised the bacterial communities inhabiting the bulk soil and rhizosphere of sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) in two chronically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) polluted soils. Three hundred strains were isolated, purified and characterised, a majority of which showed multiple plant growth promoting (PGP) traits. Several isolates showed high nitroreductase enzyme activity and concurrent TNT-transformation. A 12-member bacterial consortium, comprising selected TNT-detoxifying and rhizobacterial strains, significantly enhanced TNT removal from soil compared to non-inoculated plants, increased root and shoot weight, and the plants showed enhanced ability to withstand TNT as estimated by the responses of antioxidative enzymes. The SYCAM culture collection is a significant resource of plant-associated strains with multiple PGP and catalytic properties, available for further genetic and phenotypic discovery and use in field applications.