Isolation and Characterization of Highly Effective Phytate-Mineralizing Klebsiella pneumonia Strain MK1C Adapted to Arid and Semiarid Conditions from Calcareous Soil

Abstract

This study aimed to isolate and identify highly adapted and highly efficient phytate-mineralizing bacteria from calcareous soil located in northern area of Egypt of arid and semiarid climate conditions. Using direct pour plate method, NBRIP medium was supplemented with phytate (5.0 g/L).The isolate showed the largest halo zone was further studied for its effectiveness in mineralizing phytate. The newly isolated strain was identified through the sequencing and the analysis of its nearly full 16S rRNA gene and was identified as Klebsiella pneumonia strain MK1C with GenBank accession number KU358675 based on BLASTn database. On liquid NBRIP culture, Klebsiella pneumonia strain MK1C showed high growth that was associated with a significant reduction of its pH from 6.8 to 4.7 and up to 5 times higher production of organic acids compared to uninoculated treatments. As a result, more than 50% of the organic phosphorus of added phytate was released as inorganic phosphorus. This strain could be an excellent dual-biofertilizer for both phytate mineralization and dinitrogen fixation. This is especially important for soils with poor conditions such as calcareous soils or in areas of arid and semiarid climate conditions where this strain and its related species are highly adapted.