For decades, transcription of Photorhabdus luminescens lux-operon was considered being constitutive. Therefore, this lux-operon has been used for measurements in non-specific bacterial luminescent biosensors. Here, the expression of Photorhabdus lux-operon under high temperature was studied. The expression was researched in the natural strain Photorhabdus temperata and in the heterologous system of Escherichia coli. P. temperata FV2201 bacterium was isolated from soil in the Moscow region (growth optimum 28 °C). We showed that its luminescence significantly increases when the temperature rises to 34 °C. The increase in luminescence is associated with an increase in the transcription of luxCDABE genes, which was confirmed by RT-PCR. The promoter of the lux-operon of the related bacterium P. luminescens ZM1 from the forests of Moldova, being cloned in the heterologous system of E. coli, is activated when the temperature rises from room temperature to 42 °C. When heat shock is caused by ethanol addition, transcription of lux-operon increases only in the natural strain of P. temperata, but not in the heterologous system of E. coli cells. In addition, the activation of the lux-operon of P. luminescens persists in E. coli strains deficient in both the rpoH and rpoE genes. These results indicate the presence of sigma 32 and sigma 24 independent heat-shock-like mechanism of regulation of the lux-operon of P. luminescens in the heterologous E. coli system.

Using lichinoindication and biotesting on the basis of bacterial luminescence the ecological state of the air environment and soils of 14 streets 8 of the administrative districts of the city of Moscow was assessed. Lichens of 28 species are distinguished, mainly in relation to air pollution of the I and II classes of toxicophobia. The influence of specificity of chemical contamination by pollutants of the air environment on the growth of certain lichen species is discussed. A large number of identified nitrophilous lichen species indicates a specific ecology of the urban environment. Express method (30 min) of biotesting on the basis of bacterial luminescence identified the toxicity index of soil samples from the lichen collection sites. Many soil samples were toxic or very toxic. In some soil samples soil mosaic was revealed, in which samples of one soil sample had different toxicity indices. The joint use of lichinoindication and biotesting on the basis of bacterial luminescence can be useful for eliminating local pollutants and an essential link in the improvement of habitats. This indicates the expediency of practical use of these biomonitoring methods.

The indicators of functioning of soil microorganisms in soddy–podzolic soil contaminated with Ni compounds show different ranges of soil ecotoxicity. A halving of soil microorganisms' nitrogen-fixing activity has been shown in slightly acidic soddy–podzolic cultivated soil with a Ni concentration of 150 mg/kg and for noncultivated acidic soils with a Ni concentration 100 mg/kg. The reduction of denitrification activity in cultivated soil has been observed with a Ni concentration of 500 mg/kg, and in uncultivated soil it has been observed at a Ni dose of 100 mg/kg. The inhibition of soil respiration in slightly acidic soil occurred only at the highest dose of Ni, 1000 mg/kg, while in the acidic soil it took place at 300 mg/kg. Biotesting based on bacterial luminescence can be used for determination of soil pollution with heavy metals such as Ni, as well as for the assessment of the toxicity of aqueous environments in contact with contaminated soils.

Characteristics of four natural water samples from urban and rural areas and the efficiency of a new purifying agent, potassium ferrate K2FeO4, were studied by bacterial luminescence bioassay for 30 minutes. It was revealed that two samples of water from the urban areas are toxic, while the other two samples (one from urban and one from rural environment) are nontoxic. Numerous data obtained on the increase in toxicity index with time allow reasonable conclusions to be made about the chemical nature of substances present in the test water samples. Toxic natural water samples were likely to contain heavy metals and were well purified using potassium ferrate, including via their adsorption. In nontoxic natural water samples, toxic complexes with organic compounds present in water could form at the addition of potassium ferrate. The obtained data call for further studying the properties of potassium ferrate complexes with organic compounds. Bacterial luminescence bioassay is a promising method for the rapid assessment of properties of various water sources (their integral toxicity and presumable chemical composition) and new reagents for their purification (effective concentrations, bactericidal properties, and mechanisms of interacting with heavy metals and organic substances in water).

The possibility of using 2 test kits – the display on the basis of the characteristics of lichens and bioassays based on luminescent bacteria for rapid assessment of the state of air pollution in the example area in Shchelkovo district, Moscow region. The number of detected lichen species, the classes of their resistance to pollution and changes in the morphology of lichens thalli and cell diameters of lichen photobionts and toxicity of tree bark in the allocation of lichens was estimated.

Appreciated integral toxicity of four water samples taken from various sources, urban and rural environment, and explored some of the properties of the reagent chemical purification of water potassium ferrate K2FeO4. These data allow suggesting for practical use test system based on bacterial luminescence for express evaluation of the toxicity of chemical reagents used for water purification, selection of their effective concentrations and optimal processing time of water samples.

The possibility of using 2 test kits – the display on the basis of the characteristics of lichens and bioassays based on luminescent bacteria for rapid assessment of the state of air pollution in the example area in Shchelkovo district, Moscow region. The number of detected lichen species, the classes of their resistance to pollution and changes in the morphology of lichens thalli and cell diameters of lichen photobionts and toxicity of tree bark in the allocation of lichens was estimated.

Biotesting on bacterial luminescence model for 30 minutes investigated characteristics of four samples of natural water in urban and rural environment and the effectiveness of new purification agent — potassium ferrate K 2 FeO 4 were studied. It was revealed that two samples of water from urban areas were toxic, while the other two (one from urban and one from rural environment) — are non-toxic. Numerous data received concerning the increase in the time toxicity index allow us to make reasonable conclusions about the chemical nature of substances containing in the test water samples. Toxic natural water samples is likely to contain heavy metals and are well cleaned potassium ferrate on the mechanism of their sorption by the product of ferrates degradation. In non-toxic natural water samples investigated under addition of potassium ferrate were probably formed complexes with the toxic organic compounds contained in water. These are oriented to further study the properties of potassium ferrate complexes with organic compounds. The bioassay based on the bacterial luminescence is a promising method for the rapid evaluation of the properties of various water sources (and their putative integral toxicity of the chemical composition), and cleaning them of new reagents (effective concentrations of bactericidal and mechanisms of action in connection with heavy metals and organic substances of the water).

It has been established using the model bacterial luminescence of the genetically modified bacteria Escherichia coli K12 TG1 that the damaging effect of silver nanoparticles (52 nm in size) developed more slowly and emerged at higher concentrations (approximately by 2 orders of magnitude) when compared with silver ions. A decline of bioluminescence and oxygen consumption is observed upon exposure to both nanoparticles and silver ions. Following the inhibition of biochemical processes, the silver bactericidal action (based on the ability to decrease the number of CFU) and morphological changes in the cells (according to the AFM data) are revealed. Similarly to the results of our previous studies on establishing the bactericidal effect of single-walled carbon nanotubes, the presented data allows us to suggest the use of bacterial luminescence changes for the primary assessment of the toxicity of silver nanoparticles.

Electromagnetic radiation of low intensity (n = 42,25 GHz) changes integrated toxicity of the sewage water of different degree of treating. It is shown that the less degree of water treating the more toxic effect of ER. It was revealed by express method on basis of a bacterial luminescence of the test system “Ecolum-08” that allows to offer this test system for a primary estimate of the ER action.

Irradiation of wastewater by low intensity electromagnetic radiation (ν = 42.25 GHz) affects the integral toxicity of water of a different purification degree, which was revealed by an express method on the basis of the Ecolum-08 bacterial luminescent test system. We have shown that the lower the degree of water purification, the higher the toxicity effect of EMR. This allows us to propose the Ecolum bacterial luminescent test system for the primary testing of the effect of EMR.