A study of the transformation of arsenic species by the microflora of the freshwater crayfish
Procambarus clarkii was carried out. The study of the degradation of AB (arsenobetaine) wasperformed in aerobic conditions in two culture media (tryptic soy broth and saline medium) at twotemperatures (30 and 8
C). The microflora transformed AB into TMAO (trimethylarsine oxide), DMA(dimethylarsinate), MA (methylarsonate), and an unidentified compound (U1). The quickest transformations were carried out by microflora from hepatopancreas incubated in saline medium at 30
C. The individualized study of other arsenic species [AC (arsenocholine), TETRA (tetramethylarsoniumion), TMAO, DMA, and MA] was also performed in saline medium. The only transformation observedwas of AC into AB. The bacteria possibly responsible for AB degradation were isolated, identified byphenotypic and genotypic methods, and individually assayed for AB transformation. Only isolatesallocated to the species
Pseudomonas putida were able to metabolize AB.Keywords: Arsenic species; arsenobetaine; crayfish;
Pseudomonas