Cupriavidus metallidurans

Cupriavidus metallidurans is a type of bacteria from the family of Burkholderiaceae. Synonyms names are Ralstonia metallidurans or Wautersia metallidurans. The specific epithet metallidurans indicates that this bacterium survives high heavy metal concentrations.

Features

There are gram-negative, rod-shaped, single-celled bacteria that individually occur in pairs or in short chains. They have a diameter of 0.8 microns and a length 1.2 to 2.2 microns. They move by peritrichous flagella. On a nutrient medium they form within 24 hours of incubation at 30 ° C round, smooth, flat, convex and transparent colonies diameter of about 0.5 mm. These bacteria grow in the air of between 20 ° C and 37 ° C but not at 4 ° C and 41 ° C.

Way of life

The reference strain CH34 was first isolated in 1974 in the wastewater of a zinc factory in Belgium. The bacterium occurs in nature in sediments and in soils with a high content of heavy metals and has also been found on gold nuggets.

Use

The bacterium is a special interest, because it is capable of producing from a highly toxic aqueous gold (III ) tetrachloride solution of metallic gold. The mechanisms at work here were, among others, Reith examined.