The pollution of the environment with toxic heavy metals is spreading and to survive under metal-stressed
conditions, bacteria have evolved several types of mechanisms. In this study, copper resistance determinant
(copA gene) in Pseudomonas fluorescens CuO-2 was investigated. The strain of P. fluorescens used in this study
was previously isolated from soil. Genomic DNA was extracted from pure culture and the PCR method was used
to investigate the copA gene. The copA gene that is responsible for resistance to copper was shown to be present
in P. fluorescens CuO-2 by PCR. Nucleotide sequence of PCR fragment, demonstrated the presence of copA gene
covering about approximately 300 bp involved in Cu resistance. The comparison of copA with other sequences in
the genbank database demonstrated significant similarities to copA gene from other bacteria. Comparative
analysis of CopA protein from different species of Pseudomonas revealed that the copA gene product may plays a
major role in the copper resistance mechanism.
کلید واژگان :
Key words: Pseudomonas fluorescens, copA gene, copper oxide nanoparticles, resistance.
