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Tobacco Science & Technology, 2012, 5, p. 74-78, ISSN.1002-0861

Isolation, identification and characteristics of nicotine-degrading bacterium strain 5-28

CHEN Chen(1,2); MA Guanghui(2); LEI Liping(3); ZHOU Wei(2); SHEN Xingjia(1); YANG Jinkui(*2)
(1) Biological and Chemical Engineering College, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212018, Jiangsu, P.R. China; (2) Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P.R. China; (3) Yunnan Academy of Tobacco Agricultural Sciences, Yuxi 653100, Yunnan, P.R. China

In order to solve the problem of higher nicotine content in flue-cured tobacco leaves produced in some areas, bacterium strain 5-28, which had the potential of degrading nicotine was isolated from tobacco growing soil in Mile, Yunnan using nicotine as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. The strain 5-28 was identified as Sinorhizobium sp. 5-28 via morphological observation, physio-biochemical property analysis, 16S rRNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The strain 5-28 is tolerant to nicotine at a concentration of 0-2.5 g/L. The optimum condition for nicotine degradation is: nicotine concentration 1.5 g/L, pH 4.0 and 25 °C. Almost 80 % nicotine would be degraded after cultivation for 24 hours where the initial concentration was 1 g/L, moreover, the resting cells of strain 5-28 would effectively degrade the nicotine in tobacco leaf as well.