Isolation of a malachite green-degrading Pseudomonas sp. MDB-1 strain and cloning of the tmr2 gene

The release of malachite green, a commonly used triphenylmethane dye, into the environment is causing increasing concern due to its toxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity. A bacterial strain that could degrade malachite green was isolated from the water of an aquatic hatchery. It was identified as a Pseudomonas sp. based on the morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics, as well as the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence and designated as MDB-1. This strain was capable of degrading both malachite green and leucomalachite green, as well as other triphenylmethane dyes including Crystal Violet and Basic Fuchsin. The gene tmr2, encoding the triphenylmethane reductase from MDB-1, was cloned, sequenced and effectively expressed in E. coli. These results highlight the potential of this bacterium for the bioremediation of aquatic environments contaminated by malachite green.