Saeedeh Sibevieh - Department of Microbiology, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran
Ensieh Salehghamari - Department of Cell and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Ali Amoozegar - Extremophiles Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Reza Zolfaghari - Department of Microbiology, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran
Mohammad Soleimani - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Zohre Nasrollahzadeh - Department of Cell and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran,
Sara Eftekhari Yazdi - Extremophiles Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

With the increased usage of nitrate fertilizers, the removal of their stable ionic and water-soluble end products is a challenge for human health. Several physicochemical methods have been examined for nitrate removal of water, but biological treatments are mostly preferred due to a higher efficiency and lower cost. To remove nitrogen from water, we investigated the potential of nitrate-reducing halophilic and halotolerant bacteria. A total of ۵۰ strains from different saline and hypersaline environments of Iran, including the Incheboron wetland, Aran-Bidgol salt-lake, and Urmia endorheic salt-lake, were screened for nitrate reductase production. Among investigated bacteria, ۶۰% and ۱۹% of strains obtained from Urmia lake, and Incheboron wetland produced nitrate reductases, respectively. The nitrate reductase coding genes narG, and napA were analyzed in all strains with confirmed nitrate-reducing capacity. The napA gene was successfully amplified from a gram-negative halophilic strain, and the narG gene was detected in ten halophilic strains. Among nitrate-reducing isolates with the narG gene expression, the Kocuria rosea strain R۳A۳۴ showed the highest nitrate reductase production level. This strain was selected to optimize for its denitrifying activity. Results showed that ۳۲°C, pH ۷.۰, NaCl ۸% (w/v), and mannitol (as a carbon source) provide the optimal environmental conditions for the efficient production of nitrate reductase by the Kocuria rosea strain R۳A۳۴. As these are compatible with wastewaters conditions, this bacterium can be a proper candidate for bioremediation of wastewaters from nitrate pollutants.

Halophiles, Kocuria, napA, narG, Nitrate Reductase