Insight into the Cold Adaptation Mechanism of an Aerobic Denitrifying Bacterium: Bacillus simplex H-b
Qian Yang, Yi Shi, Yu Xin, Ting Yang, Liang Zhang, Zhenghua Gu, Youran Li, Zhongyang Ding, Guiyang Shi
Abstract
The newly isolated aerobic denitrifying bacterium Bacillus simplex H-b removed various forms of inorganic nitrogen (nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium) from wastewater, even when the temperature was as low as 5°C. Although this environmentally functional bacterium has been suggested as a promising candidate for nitrogen-contaminated water treatment at low temperatures, understanding its cold adaptation mechanism during aerobic denitrification is limited. In this study, the cold tolerance mechanism of this strain was comprehensively explained. Furthermore, a theoretical basis for the practical application of this type of functional bacterium for nitrogen removal in cold regions is provided. The study expands our understanding of the survival strategy of psychrophilic bacteria and hence supports their further utilization in wastewater treatment applications.