A Preliminary Investigation into Heavy Metal Tolerance in Pseudomonas Isolates: Does the Isolation Site Have an Effect?

Alessandro De Santis, Antonio Bevilacqua (), Angela Racioppo, Barbara Speranza, Maria Rosaria Corbo, Clelia Altieri and Milena Sinigaglia
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Alessandro De Santis: Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Antonio Bevilacqua: Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Angela Racioppo: Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Barbara Speranza: Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Maria Rosaria Corbo: Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Clelia Altieri: Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Milena Sinigaglia: Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-17

Abstract: One hundred presumptive Pseudomonas isolates, recovered from 15 sites impacted by anthropogenic activity in the Foggia district (Italy), were screened for key adaptive and functional traits important for environmental applications. The isolates were phenotypically characterized for their ability to grow under combined pH (5.0–8.0) and temperature (15–37 °C) conditions, to produce proteolytic enzymes, pigments, and exopolysaccharides, and to tolerate SDS. Moreover, the resistance to six environmentally relevant heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Zn, As) was qualitatively assessed. The results highlighted wide inter-strain variability, with distinct clusters of isolates showing unique combinations of stress tolerance, enzymatic potential, and resistance profile. PERMANOVA analysis revealed significant effects of both the isolation site and the metal type, as well as their interaction, on the observed resistance patterns. A subset of isolates showed co-tolerance to elevated temperatures and heavy metals. These findings offer an initial yet insightful overview of the adaptive diversity of soil-derived Pseudomonas , laying the groundwork for the rational selection of strains for bioaugmentation in contaminated soils.

Keywords: combined effects; multivariate analysis; resistance; growth; contaminated soils (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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