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Hui CY, Ma BC, Hu SY, Wu C. Tailored bacteria tackling with environmental mercury: Inspired by natural mercuric detoxification operons. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 341:123016. [PMID: 38008253 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) and its inorganic and organic compounds significantly threaten the ecosystem and human health. However, the natural and anthropogenic Hg environmental inputs exceed 5000 metric tons annually. Hg is usually discharged in elemental or ionic forms, accumulating in surface water and sediments where Hg-methylating microbes-mediated biotransformation occurs. Microbial genetic factors such as the mer operon play a significant role in the complex Hg biogeochemical cycle. Previous reviews summarize the fate of environmental Hg, its biogeochemistry, and the mechanism of bacterial Hg resistance. This review mainly focuses on the mer operon and its components in detecting, absorbing, bioaccumulating, and detoxifying environmental Hg. Four components of the mer operon, including the MerR regulator, divergent mer promoter, and detoxification factors MerA and MerB, are rare bio-parts for assembling synthetic bacteria, which tackle pollutant Hg. Bacteria are designed to integrate synthetic biology, protein engineering, and metabolic engineering. In summary, this review highlights that designed bacteria based on the mer operon can potentially sense and bioremediate pollutant Hg in a green and low-cost manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Ye Hui
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen, 518020, China.
| | - Bing-Chan Ma
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen, 518020, China; School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shun-Yu Hu
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen, 518020, China; Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Can Wu
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, 2019 Buxin Road, Shenzhen, 518020, China; Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
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Somayaji A, Dhanjal CR, Lingamsetty R, Vinayagam R, Selvaraj R, Varadavenkatesan T, Govarthanan M. An insight into the mechanisms of homeostasis in extremophiles. Microbiol Res 2022; 263:127115. [PMID: 35868258 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The homeostasis of extremophiles is one that is a diamond hidden in the rough. The way extremophiles adapt to their extreme environments gives a clue into the true extent of what is possible when it comes to life. The discovery of new extremophiles is ever-expanding and an explosion of knowledge surrounding their successful existence in extreme environments is obviously perceived in scientific literature. The present review paper aims to provide a comprehensive view on the different mechanisms governing the extreme adaptations of extremophiles, along with insights and discussions on what the limits of life can possibly be. The membrane adaptations that are vital for survival are discussed in detail. It was found that there are many alterations in the genetic makeup of such extremophiles when compared to their mesophilic counterparts. Apart from the several proteins involved, the significance of chaperones, efflux systems, DNA repair proteins and a host of other enzymes that adapt to maintain functionality, are enlisted, and explained. A deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms could have a plethora of applications in the industry. There are cases when certain microbes can withstand extreme doses of antibiotics. Such microbes accumulate numerous genetic elements (or plasmids) that possess genes for multiple drug resistance (MDR). A deeper understanding of such mechanisms helps in the development of potential approaches and therapeutic schemes for treating pathogen-mediated outbreaks. An in-depth analysis of the parameters - radiation, pressure, temperature, pH value and metal resistance - are discussed in this review, and the key to survival in these precarious niches is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adithi Somayaji
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India; Manipal Biomachines, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Chetan Roger Dhanjal
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India; Manipal Biomachines, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Rathnamegha Lingamsetty
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India; Manipal Biomachines, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Ramesh Vinayagam
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Raja Selvaraj
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Thivaharan Varadavenkatesan
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India.
| | - Muthusamy Govarthanan
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea; Department of Biomaterials, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai 600077, India.
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Priyadarshanee M, Chatterjee S, Rath S, Dash HR, Das S. Cellular and genetic mechanism of bacterial mercury resistance and their role in biogeochemistry and bioremediation. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 423:126985. [PMID: 34464861 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic element that occurs at low concentrations in nature. However, various anthropogenic and natural sources contribute around 5000 to 8000 metric tons of Hg per year, rapidly deteriorating the environmental conditions. Mercury-resistant bacteria that possess the mer operon system have the potential for Hg bioremediation through volatilization from the contaminated milieus. Thus, bacterial mer operon plays a crucial role in Hg biogeochemistry and bioremediation by converting both reactive inorganic and organic forms of Hg to relatively inert, volatile, and monoatomic forms. Both the broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum bacteria harbor many genes of mer operon with their unique definitive functions. The presence of mer genes or proteins can regulate the fate of Hg in the biogeochemical cycle in the environment. The efficiency of Hg transformation depends upon the nature and diversity of mer genes present in mercury-resistant bacteria. Additionally, the bacterial cellular mechanism of Hg resistance involves reduced Hg uptake, extracellular sequestration, and bioaccumulation. The presence of unique physiological properties in a specific group of mercury-resistant bacteria enhances their bioremediation capabilities. Many advanced biotechnological tools also can improve the bioremediation efficiency of mercury-resistant bacteria to achieve Hg bioremediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Priyadarshanee
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Ecology (LEnME), Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela 769 008, Odisha, India
| | - Shreosi Chatterjee
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Ecology (LEnME), Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela 769 008, Odisha, India
| | - Sonalin Rath
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Ecology (LEnME), Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela 769 008, Odisha, India
| | - Hirak R Dash
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Ecology (LEnME), Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela 769 008, Odisha, India
| | - Surajit Das
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Ecology (LEnME), Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela 769 008, Odisha, India.
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Endophytic and rhizospheric bacterial communities are affected differently by the host plant species and environmental contamination. Symbiosis 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-021-00804-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Multiple Lines of Evidences Reveal Mechanisms Underpinning Mercury Resistance and Volatilization by Stenotrophomonas sp. MA5 Isolated from the Savannah River Site (SRS), USA. Cells 2019; 8:cells8040309. [PMID: 30987227 PMCID: PMC6523443 DOI: 10.3390/cells8040309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A largely understudied microbially mediated mercury (Hg) bioremediative pathway includes the volatilization of Hg2+ to Hg0. Therefore, studies on Hg resistant bacteria (HgR), isolated from historically long-term contaminated environments, can serve as models to understand mechanisms underpinning Hg cycling. Towards this end, a mercury resistant bacterial strain, identified as Stenotrophomonas sp., strain MA5, was isolated from Mill Branch on the Savannah River Site (SRS); an Hg-impacted ecosystem. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) analysis showed Hg resistance of up to 20 µg/mL by MA5 with 95% of cells retaining viability. Microcosm studies showed that the strain depleted more than 90% of spiked Hg2+ within the first 24 h of growth and the detection of volatilized mercury indicated that the strain was able to reduce Hg2+ to Hg0. To understand molecular mechanisms of Hg volatilization, a draft whole genome sequence was obtained, annotated and analyzed, which revealed the presence of a transposon-derived mer operon (merRTPADE) in MA5, known to transport and reduce Hg2+ into Hg0. Based on the whole genome sequence of strain MA5, qRT-PCR assays were designed on merRTPADE, we found a ~40-fold higher transcription of mer T, P, A, D and E when cells were exposed to 5 µg/mL Hg2+. Interestingly, strain MA5 increased cellular size as a function of increasing Hg concentrations, which is likely an evolutionary response mechanism to cope with Hg stress. Moreover, metal contaminated environments are shown to co-select for antibiotic resistance. When MA5 was screened for antibiotic resistance, broad resistance against penicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, ampicillin, rifampicin, and erythromycin was found; this correlated with the presence of multiple gene determinants for antibiotic resistance within the whole genome sequence of MA5. Overall, this study provides an in-depth understanding of the underpinnings of Stenotrophomonas-mercury interactions that facilitate cellular survival in a contaminated soil habitat.
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Naguib MM, El-Gendy AO, Khairalla AS. Microbial Diversity of Mer Operon Genes and Their Potential Rules in Mercury Bioremediation and Resistance. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.2174/1874070701812010056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:Mercury is a toxic metal that is present in small amounts in the environment, but its level is rising steadily, due to different human activities, such as industrialization. It can reach humans through the food chain, amalgam fillings, and other sources, causing different neurological disorders, memory loss, vision impairment, and may even lead to death; making its detoxification an urgent task.Methods:Various physical and chemical mercury remediation techniques are available, which generally aim at: (i) reducing its mobility or solubility; (ii) causing its vaporization or condensation; (iii) its separation from contaminated soils. Biological remediation techniques, commonly known as bioremediation, are also another possible alternative, which is considered as cheaper than the conventional means and can be accomplished using either (i) organisms harboring themeroperon genes (merB,merA,merR,merP,merT,merD,merF,merC,merE,merHandmerG), or (ii) plants expressing metal-binding proteins. Recently, differentmerdeterminants have been genetically engineered into several organisms, including bacteria and plants, to aid in detoxification of both ionic and organic forms of mercury.Results:Bacteria that are resistant to mercury compounds have at least a mercuric reductase enzyme (MerA) that reduces Hg+2to volatile Hg0, a membrane-bound protein (MerT) for Hg+2uptake and an additional enzyme, MerB, that degrades organomercurials by protonolysis. Presence of bothmerA andmerB genes confer broad-spectrum mercury resistance. However,merA alone confers narrow spectrum inorganic mercury resistance.Conclusion:To conclude, this review discusses the importance of mercury-resistance genes in mercury bioremediation. Functional analysis ofmeroperon genes and the recent advances in genetic engineering techniques could provide the most environmental friendly, safe, effective and fantastic solution to overcome mercuric toxicity.
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Mercury bioremediation by mercury resistance transposon-mediated in situ molecular breeding. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:3037-3048. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-8847-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Genetic basis and importance of metal resistant genes in bacteria for bioremediation of contaminated environments with toxic metal pollutants. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 100:2967-84. [PMID: 26860944 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-016-7364-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Metal pollution is one of the most persistent and complex environmental issues, causing threat to the ecosystem and human health. On exposure to several toxic metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and mercury, several bacteria has evolved with many metal-resistant genes as a means of their adaptation. These genes can be further exploited for bioremediation of the metal-contaminated environments. Many operon-clustered metal-resistant genes such as cadB, chrA, copAB, pbrA, merA, and NiCoT have been reported in bacterial systems for cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, and nickel resistance and detoxification, respectively. The field of environmental bioremediation has been ameliorated by exploiting diverse bacterial detoxification genes. Genetic engineering integrated with bioremediation assists in manipulation of bacterial genome which can enhance toxic metal detoxification that is not usually performed by normal bacteria. These techniques include genetic engineering with single genes or operons, pathway construction, and alternations of the sequences of existing genes. However, numerous facets of bacterial novel metal-resistant genes are yet to be explored for application in microbial bioremediation practices. This review describes the role of bacteria and their adaptive mechanisms for toxic metal detoxification and restoration of contaminated sites.
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Jan AT, Azam M, Choi I, Ali A, Haq QMR. Analysis for the presence of determinants involved in the transport of mercury across bacterial membrane from polluted water bodies of India. Braz J Microbiol 2016; 47:55-62. [PMID: 26887227 PMCID: PMC4827696 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjm.2015.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 06/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Mercury, which is ubiquitous and recalcitrant to biodegradation processes, threatens human health by escaping to the environment via various natural and anthropogenic activities. Non-biodegradability of mercury pollutants has necessitated the development and implementation of economic alternatives with promising potential to remove metals from the environment. Enhancement of microbial based remediation strategies through genetic engineering approaches provides one such alternative with a promising future. In this study, bacterial isolates inhabiting polluted sites were screened for tolerance to varying concentrations of mercuric chloride. Following identification, several Pseudomonas and Klebsiella species were found to exhibit the highest tolerance to both organic and inorganic mercury. Screened bacterial isolates were examined for their genetic make-up in terms of the presence of genes (merP and merT) involved in the transport of mercury across the membrane either alone or in combination to deal with the toxic mercury. Gene sequence analysis revealed that the merP gene showed 86-99% homology, while the merT gene showed >98% homology with previously reported sequences. By exploring the genes involved in imparting metal resistance to bacteria, this study will serve to highlight the credentials that are particularly advantageous for their practical application to remediation of mercury from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arif Tasleem Jan
- School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749, Republic of Korea.
| | - Mudsser Azam
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Inho Choi
- School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749, Republic of Korea
| | - Arif Ali
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
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Overexpression, purification and biophysical characterisation of E. coli MerT. Protein Expr Purif 2015; 108:85-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2014.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Revised: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Sone Y, Mochizuki Y, Koizawa K, Nakamura R, Pan-Hou H, Itoh T, Kiyono M. Mercurial-resistance determinants in Pseudomonas strain K-62 plasmid pMR68. AMB Express 2013; 3:41. [PMID: 23890172 PMCID: PMC3737084 DOI: 10.1186/2191-0855-3-41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the complete nucleotide sequence of plasmid pMR68, isolated from Pseudomonas strain K-62, two plasmids contribute to broad-spectrum mercury resistance and that the mer operon from one of them (pMR26) has been previously characterized. The plasmid was 71,020 bp in length and contained 75 coding regions. Three mer gene clusters were identified. The first comprised merR-orf4-orf5-merT1-merP1-merF-merA-merB1, which confers bacterial resistance to mercuric ions and organomercury. The second and third clusters comprised merT2-merP2, which encodes a mercury transport system, and merB2, which encodes an organomercurial lyase, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequences for the proteins encoded by each of the mer genes identified in pMR68 bore greater similarity to sequences from Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 than to those from pMR26, a second mercury-resistance plasmid from Pseudomonas strain K-62. Escherichia coli cells carrying pMKY12 (containing merR-orf4-orf5-merT1-merP1-merF-merA-merB1 cloned from pMR68) and cells carrying pMRA114 (containing merR-merT-merP-merA-merG-merB1 cloned from plasmid pMR26) were more resistant to, and volatilized more, mercury from mercuric ions and phenylmercury than the control cells. The present results, together with our earlier findings, indicate that the high phenylmercury resistance noted for Pseudomonas strain K-62 seems to be achieved by multiple genes, particularly by the multiple merB encoding organomercurial lyase and one merG encoding cellular permeability to phenylmercury. The novel mer gene identified in pMR68 may help us to design new strategies aimed at the bioremediation of mercurials.
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Boyd ES, Barkay T. The mercury resistance operon: from an origin in a geothermal environment to an efficient detoxification machine. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:349. [PMID: 23087676 PMCID: PMC3466566 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 09/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mercuric mercury (Hg[II]) is a highly toxic and mobile element that is likely to have had a pronounced and adverse effect on biology since Earth’s oxygenation ∼2.4 billion years ago due to its high affinity for protein sulfhydryl groups, which upon binding destabilize protein structure and decrease enzyme activity, resulting in a decreased organismal fitness. The central enzyme in the microbial mercury detoxification system is the mercuric reductase (MerA) protein, which catalyzes the reduction of Hg(II) to volatile Hg(0). In addition to MerA, mer operons encode for proteins involved in regulation, Hg binding, and organomercury degradation. Mer-mediated approaches have had broad applications in the bioremediation of mercury-contaminated environments and industrial waste streams. Here, we examine the composition of 272 individual mer operons and quantitatively map the distribution of mer-encoded functions on both taxonomic SSU rRNA gene and MerA phylogenies. The results indicate an origin and early evolution of MerA among thermophilic bacteria and an overall increase in the complexity of mer operons through evolutionary time, suggesting continual gene recruitment and evolution leading to an improved efficiency and functional potential of the Mer detoxification system. Consistent with a positive relationship between the evolutionary history and topology of MerA and SSU rRNA gene phylogenies (Mantel R = 0.81, p < 0.01), the distribution of the majority of mer functions, when mapped on these phylograms, indicates an overall tendency to inherit mer-encoded functions through vertical descent. However, individual mer functions display evidence of a variable degree of vertical inheritance, with several genes exhibiting strong evidence for acquisition via lateral gene transfer and/or gene loss. Collectively, these data suggest that (i) mer has evolved from a simple system in geothermal environments to a widely distributed and more complex and efficient detoxification system, and (ii) merA is a suitable biomarker for examining the functional diversity of Hg detoxification and for predicting the composition of mer operons in natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S Boyd
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University Bozeman, MT, USA
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Allen RC, Tu YK, Nevarez MJ, Bobbs AS, Friesen JW, Lorsch JR, McCauley JA, Voet JG, Hamlett NV. The mercury resistance (mer) operon in a marine gliding flavobacterium, Tenacibaculum discolor 9A5. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2012; 83:135-48. [PMID: 22816663 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2012.01460.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2012] [Revised: 07/17/2012] [Accepted: 07/18/2012] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Genes conferring mercury resistance have been investigated in a variety of bacteria and archaea but not in bacteria of the phylum Bacteroidetes, despite their importance in many environments. We found, however, that a marine gliding Bacteroidetes species, Tenacibaculum discolor, was the predominant mercury-resistant bacterial taxon cultured from a salt marsh fertilized with mercury-contaminated sewage sludge. Here we report characterization of the mercuric reductase and the narrow-spectrum mercury resistance (mer) operon from one of these strains - T. discolor 9A5. This mer operon, which confers mercury resistance when cloned into Flavobacterium johnsoniae, encodes a novel mercury-responsive ArsR/SmtB family transcriptional regulator that appears to have evolved independently from other mercury-responsive regulators, a novel putative transport protein consisting of a fusion between the integral membrane Hg(II) transporter MerT and the periplasmic Hg(II)-binding protein MerP, an additional MerP protein, and a mercuric reductase that is phylogenetically distinct from other known mercuric reductases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Allen
- Program in Molecular Biology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA, USA
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Rojas LA, Yáñez C, González M, Lobos S, Smalla K, Seeger M. Characterization of the metabolically modified heavy metal-resistant Cupriavidus metallidurans strain MSR33 generated for mercury bioremediation. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17555. [PMID: 21423734 PMCID: PMC3056708 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2010] [Accepted: 01/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mercury-polluted environments are often contaminated with other heavy metals. Therefore, bacteria with resistance to several heavy metals may be useful for bioremediation. Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 is a model heavy metal-resistant bacterium, but possesses a low resistance to mercury compounds. Methodology/Principal Findings To improve inorganic and organic mercury resistance of strain CH34, the IncP-1β plasmid pTP6 that provides novel merB, merG genes and additional other mer genes was introduced into the bacterium by biparental mating. The transconjugant Cupriavidus metallidurans strain MSR33 was genetically and biochemically characterized. Strain MSR33 maintained stably the plasmid pTP6 over 70 generations under non-selective conditions. The organomercurial lyase protein MerB and the mercuric reductase MerA of strain MSR33 were synthesized in presence of Hg2+. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (mM) for strain MSR33 were: Hg2+, 0.12 and CH3Hg+, 0.08. The addition of Hg2+ (0.04 mM) at exponential phase had not an effect on the growth rate of strain MSR33. In contrast, after Hg2+ addition at exponential phase the parental strain CH34 showed an immediate cessation of cell growth. During exposure to Hg2+ no effects in the morphology of MSR33 cells were observed, whereas CH34 cells exposed to Hg2+ showed a fuzzy outer membrane. Bioremediation with strain MSR33 of two mercury-contaminated aqueous solutions was evaluated. Hg2+ (0.10 and 0.15 mM) was completely volatilized by strain MSR33 from the polluted waters in presence of thioglycolate (5 mM) after 2 h. Conclusions/Significance A broad-spectrum mercury-resistant strain MSR33 was generated by incorporation of plasmid pTP6 that was directly isolated from the environment into C. metallidurans CH34. Strain MSR33 is capable to remove mercury from polluted waters. This is the first study to use an IncP-1β plasmid directly isolated from the environment, to generate a novel and stable bacterial strain useful for mercury bioremediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A. Rojas
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química and Center for Nanotechnology and Systems Biology, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
- Laboratorio de Espectroscopía, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valparaíso, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Carolina Yáñez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química and Center for Nanotechnology and Systems Biology, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Myriam González
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química and Center for Nanotechnology and Systems Biology, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Soledad Lobos
- Laboratorio de Espectroscopía, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valparaíso, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Kornelia Smalla
- Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants (JKI), Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Seeger
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química and Center for Nanotechnology and Systems Biology, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
- * E-mail:
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Pan-Hou H. [Application of mercury-resistant genes in bioremediation of mercurials in environments]. YAKUGAKU ZASSHI 2010; 130:1143-56. [PMID: 20823672 DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.130.1143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2023]
Abstract
Mercury and its organic compounds, especially methylmercury are extremely hazardous pollutants that have been released into the environment in substantial quantities by natural events and anthropogenic activities. Due to the acute toxicity of these contaminants, there is an urgent need to develop an effective and affordable technology to remove them from the environments. Recently, attempts have been made to utilize bacterial mer operon-mediated reduction and volatilization of mercurials for environmental remediation of mercury pollution. However, application of this technology to the treatment of mercury-contaminated environments has been limited by social concerns about the release of volatile mercury that will become part of the local mercury cycle and repollute the environment again, into the ambient air. To improve this environmental problem, a new mercury scavenging mechanism that could be expressed in living cells and accumulates mercury from contaminated site without releasing mercury vapor is necessitated. To construct a new biocatalyst that is capable of specifically accumulating mercury from contaminated sites without releasing mercury vapor, we have genetically engineered bacteria and tobacco plant for removal of mercury from wastewater and soils, respectively, to express a mercury transport system and organomercurial lyase enzyme simultaneously, and overexpress polyphosphate, a chelator of divalent metals. The applicability of these new engineered biocatalysts in the environmental remediation of mercurials is evaluated and discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidemitsu Pan-Hou
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University, Osaka, Japan.
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16
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Lal D, Lal R. Evolution of mercuric reductase (merA) gene: A case of horizontal gene transfer. Microbiology (Reading) 2010. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026261710040120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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17
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Chien MF, Narita M, Lin KH, Matsui K, Huang CC, Endo G. Organomercurials removal by heterogeneous merB genes harboring bacterial strains. J Biosci Bioeng 2010; 110:94-8. [PMID: 20541123 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2010.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2009] [Revised: 01/07/2010] [Accepted: 01/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Organomercury lyase (MerB) is a key enzyme in bacterial detoxification and bioremediation of organomercurials. However, the merB gene is often considered as an ancillary component of the mer operon because there is zero to three merB genes in different mer operons identified so far. In this study, organomercurials' removal abilities of native mercury-resistant bacteria that have one or multiple merB genes were examined. Each heterogeneous merB genes from these bacteria was further cloned into Escherichia coli to investigate the substrate specificity of each MerB enzyme. The merB1 gene from Bacillus megaterium MB1 conferred the highest volatilization ability to methylmercury chloride, ethylmercury chloride, thimerosal and p-chloromercuribenzoate, while the merB3 from B. megaterium MB1 conferred the fastest mercury volatilization activity to p-chloromercuribenzoate. The substrate specificities among these MerB enzymes show the necessity for selecting the appropriate bacteria strains or MerB enzymes to apply them in bioremediation engineering for cleaning up specific organomercurial contaminations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Fang Chien
- Faculty of Engineering, Tohoku Gakuin University, 1-13-1 Chuo, Tagajo, Miyagi 985-8537, Japan
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18
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Mercury pollution: an emerging problem and potential bacterial remediation strategies. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s11274-009-0050-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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19
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Mittl PRE, Schneider-Brachert W. Sel1-like repeat proteins in signal transduction. Cell Signal 2006; 19:20-31. [PMID: 16870393 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2006.05.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2006] [Accepted: 05/23/2006] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Solenoid proteins, which are distinguished from general globular proteins by their modular architectures, are frequently involved in signal transduction pathways. Proteins from the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) and Sel1-like repeat (SLR) families share similar alpha-helical conformations but different consensus sequence lengths and superhelical topologies. Both families are characterized by low sequence similarity levels, rendering the identification of functional homologous difficult. Therefore current knowledge of the molecular and cellular functions of the SLR proteins Sel1, Hrd3, Chs4, Nif1, PodJ, ExoR, AlgK, HcpA, Hsp12, EnhC, LpnE, MotX, and MerG has been reviewed. Although SLR proteins possess different cellular functions they all seem to serve as adaptor proteins for the assembly of macromolecular complexes. Sel1, Hrd3, Hsp12 and LpnE are activated under cellular stress. The eukaryotic Sel1 and Hrd3 proteins are involved in the ER-associated protein degradation, whereas the bacterial LpnE, EnhC, HcpA, ExoR, and AlgK proteins mediate the interactions between bacterial and eukaryotic host cells. LpnE and EnhC are responsible for the entry of L. pneumophila into epithelial cells and macrophages. ExoR from the symbiotic microorganism S. melioti and AlgK from the pathogen P. aeruginosa regulate exopolysaccaride synthesis. Nif1 and Chs4 from yeast are responsible for the regulation of mitosis and septum formation during cell division, respectively, and PodJ guides the cellular differentiation during the cell cycle of the bacterium C. crescentus. Taken together the SLR motif establishes a link between signal transduction pathways from eukaryotes and bacteria. The SLR motif is so far absent from archaea. Therefore the SLR could have developed in the last common ancestor between eukaryotes and bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peer R E Mittl
- Biochemisches Institut, Universität Zürich, Winterthurer Strasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
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20
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Kiyono M, Pan-Hou H. Genetic Engineering of Bacteria for Environmental Remediation of Mercury. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1248/jhs.52.199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masako Kiyono
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University
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Murtaza I, Dutt A, Mushtaq D, Ali A. Molecular cloning and genetic analysis of functional merB gene from indian isolates of Escherichia coli. Curr Microbiol 2005; 51:297-302. [PMID: 16211434 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-005-0013-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2005] [Accepted: 05/30/2005] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Studies were carried out to characterize organomercurial lyase genes from wild type mercury-resistant Escherichia coli isolates, previously collected from five geographically distinct regions of the Indian subcontinent. PCR amplification followed by DNA sequencing of amplified fragments showed three merB identical to the previously characterized mer B from E. coli pR831b that were thus considered as the same gene. The remaining two genes derived from E. coli isolates of an almost mercury-free site (Dal lake, Kashmir) and designated as pIAAD3 merB and pIAAD14 merB showed slight variation (2%) at base. However, this variation in pIAAD3 due to the absence of base "T" at 479 position results in complete frame shift and the predicted MerB-like polypeptide derived from it showed 21.53% divergent at its C terminal end from the previously characterized pR831b MerB. The expression profile of pIAAD3 merB in pQE30 and pUC18 vectors each demonstrated 22.2 kDa proteins. The induced DH5alpha E. coli cells possessing pIAAD3 merB cloned in pUC18 vector split phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA) into benzene and inorganic mercury efficiently, thus giving a clue that the expressed gene product is biologically active. The current study suggests that such genetic changes may take place in the continued absence of mercury pressure, and with such modifications, they finally break down to act as vestigial remnants. Further work is going on in our lab to exploit pIAAD3 merB for the bioremediation of mercury-polluted sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imtiyaz Murtaza
- Molecular Biotechnology and Biochemistry Laboratory, Division of PHT, S.K University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar Campus, Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
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Barkay T, Wagner-Döbler I. Microbial Transformations of Mercury: Potentials, Challenges, and Achievements in Controlling Mercury Toxicity in the Environment. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2005; 57:1-52. [PMID: 16002008 DOI: 10.1016/s0065-2164(05)57001-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Barkay
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, USA.
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Narita M, Chiba K, Nishizawa H, Ishii H, Huang CC, Kawabata Z, Silver S, Endo G. Diversity of mercury resistance determinants among Bacillus strains isolated from sediment of Minamata Bay. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2003; 223:73-82. [PMID: 12799003 DOI: 10.1016/s0378-1097(03)00325-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Thirty mercury-resistant (Hg R) Bacillus strains were isolated from mercury-polluted sediment of Minamata Bay, Japan. Mercury resistance phenotypes were classified into broad-spectrum (resistant to inorganic Hg(2+) and organomercurials) and narrow-spectrum (resistant to inorganic Hg(2+) and sensitive to organomercurials) groups. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product sizes and the restriction nuclease site maps of mer operon regions from all broad-spectrum Hg R Bacillus were identical to that of Bacillus megaterium MB1. On the other hand, the PCR products of the targeted merP (extracellular mercury-binding protein gene) and merA (intracellular mercury reductase protein gene) regions from the narrow-spectrum Hg R Bacillus were generally smaller than those of the B. megaterium MB1 mer determinant. Diversity of gene structure configurations was also observed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) profiles of the merA PCR products from the narrow-spectrum Hg R Bacillus. The genetic diversity of narrow-spectrum mer operons was greater than that of broad-spectrum ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Narita
- Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Tohoku Gakuin University, Tagajo, 985-8537, Japan
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24
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Abstract
Bacterial resistance to inorganic and organic mercury compounds (HgR) is one of the most widely observed phenotypes in eubacteria. Loci conferring HgR in Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria typically have at minimum a mercuric reductase enzyme (MerA) that reduces reactive ionic Hg(II) to volatile, relatively inert, monoatomic Hg(0) vapor and a membrane-bound protein (MerT) for uptake of Hg(II) arranged in an operon under control of MerR, a novel metal-responsive regulator. Many HgR loci encode an additional enzyme, MerB, that degrades organomercurials by protonolysis, and one or more additional proteins apparently involved in transport. Genes conferring HgR occur on chromosomes, plasmids, and transposons and their operon arrangements can be quite diverse, frequently involving duplications of the above noted structural genes, several of which are modular themselves. How this very mobile and plastic suite of proteins protects host cells from this pervasive toxic metal, what roles it has in the biogeochemical cycling of Hg, and how it has been employed in ameliorating environmental contamination are the subjects of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Barkay
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
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Kholodii G, Gorlenko Z, Mindlin S, Hobman J, Nikiforov V. Tn5041-like transposons: molecular diversity, evolutionary relationships and distribution of distinct variants in environmental bacteria. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2002; 148:3569-3582. [PMID: 12427948 DOI: 10.1099/00221287-148-11-3569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A detailed study on the geographic distribution, molecular diversity and evolutionary relationships of 24 closely related variants of the Tn5041 transposon found among 182 mercury resistant environmental Gram-negative strains from the IMG-Hg Reference Collection is reported here. RFLP analysis, followed by the determination of partial DNA sequences, identified 14 distinct types of these transposons, which differed from each other by 1-7 single-event DNA polymorphisms. No polymorphisms were detected at the right arm of the transposons except an insertion of a new mobile DNA element carrying a mer operon (named the mer2 cassette) within the Tn5041 mer operon. According to the model presented here, the insertion occurred via homologous recombination with a circular form of the mer2 cassette. A total of 8 point mutations, 1 internal deletion, 2 end-involving deletions, 3 mosaic regions and 2 insertions were detected at the left arm of the transposons. The insertions were a transposon closely related to Tn21 but lacking the integron and a new group II intron (named INT5041C). Inspection of the geographic distribution of the Tn5041 variants suggested that at least three long-distance waves of dissemination of these variants had occurred, accompanied by homologous recombination between different Tn5041 lineages. Movements of circular DNAs by homologous recombination as a source of mosaic genes and new mer genes, and formation of unusual mosaics ending or beginning at the Tn5041 att site are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Kholodii
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 123182, Russia1
| | - Zh Gorlenko
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 123182, Russia1
| | - S Mindlin
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 123182, Russia1
| | - J Hobman
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK2
| | - V Nikiforov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 123182, Russia1
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Pan-Hou H, Kiyono M, Omura H, Omura T, Endo G. Polyphosphate produced in recombinant Escherichia coli confers mercury resistance. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2002; 207:159-64. [PMID: 11958934 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2002.tb11045.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
An Escherichia coli strain was generated by fusion of a merA-deleted broad-spectrum mer operon from Pseudomonas K-62 with a bacterial polyphosphate kinase gene (ppk) from Klebsiella aerogenes in vector pUC119. A large amount of the ppk-specified polyphosphate was identified in the mercury-induced bacterium with the fusion plasmid designated pMKB18 but not in the cells without mercury induction. These results suggest that the synthesis of polyphosphate as well as the expression of the mer genes is mercury-inducible and regulated by merR. The E. coli strain with pMKB18 was more resistant to both Hg2+ and C6H5Hg+ than its isogenic strain with cloning vector pUC119. The recombinant strain accumulated more mercury from Hg2+- and C6H5Hg+-contaminated medium. Hg2+ transported into the cytoplasm appeared to be bound by chelation with the polyphosphate produced by the recombinant cells. The transported phenylmercury was degraded to Hg2+ before the chelation since polyphosphate did not directly chelate with C6H5Hg+. These results indicate that polyphosphate is capable of reducing the cytotoxicity of the transported Hg2+ probably via chelation between polyphosphate and Hg2+.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidemitsu Pan-Hou
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University, Hirakata, 573-0101, Osaka, Japan.
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Schneiker S, Keller M, Dröge M, Lanka E, Pühler A, Selbitschka W. The genetic organization and evolution of the broad host range mercury resistance plasmid pSB102 isolated from a microbial population residing in the rhizosphere of alfalfa. Nucleic Acids Res 2001; 29:5169-81. [PMID: 11812851 PMCID: PMC97592 DOI: 10.1093/nar/29.24.5169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2001] [Revised: 10/08/2001] [Accepted: 10/22/2001] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Employing the biparental exogenous plasmid isolation method, conjugative plasmids conferring mercury resistance were isolated from the microbial community of the rhizosphere of field grown alfalfa plants. Five different plasmids were identified, designated pSB101-pSB105. One of the plasmids, pSB102, displayed broad host range (bhr) properties for plasmid replication and transfer unrelated to the known incompatibility (Inc) groups of bhr plasmids IncP-1, IncW, IncN and IncA/C. Nucleotide sequence analysis of plasmid pSB102 revealed a size of 55 578 bp. The transfer region of pSB102 was predicted on the basis of sequence similarity to those of other plasmids and included a putative mating pair formation apparatus most closely related to the type IV secretion system encoded on the chromosome of the mammalian pathogen Brucella sp. The region encoding replication and maintenance functions comprised genes exhibiting different degrees of similarity to RepA, KorA, IncC and KorB of bhr plasmids pSa (IncW), pM3 (IncP-9), R751 (IncP-1beta) and RK2 (IncP-1alpha), respectively. The mercury resistance determinants were located on a transposable element of the Tn5053 family designated Tn5718. No putative functions could be assigned to a quarter of the coding capacity of pSB102 on the basis of comparisons with database entries. The genetic organization of the pSB102 transfer region revealed striking similarities to plasmid pXF51 of the plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Schneiker
- Fakultät für Biologie, Lehrstuhl für Genetik, Universität Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany
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Mindlin S, Kholodii G, Gorlenko Z, Minakhina S, Minakhin L, Kalyaeva E, Kopteva A, Petrova M, Yurieva O, Nikiforov V. Mercury resistance transposons of gram-negative environmental bacteria and their classification. Res Microbiol 2001; 152:811-22. [PMID: 11763242 DOI: 10.1016/s0923-2508(01)01265-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
A total of 29 mercury resistance transposons were isolated from mercury-resistant environmental strains of proteobacteria collected in different parts of Eurasia and the USA and tested for hybridization with probes specific for transposase genes of known mercury resistance transposons. 9 were related to Tn21 in this test, 12 were related to Tn5053, 4 to Tn5041 and 1 to Tn5044; three transposons were negative in this test. Restriction mapping and DNA sequencing revealed that 12 transposons were identical or nearly identical to their corresponding relatives while the rest showed varying divergence from their closest relatives. Most of these previously unknown transposons apparently arose as a result of homologous or site-specific recombination. One of these, Tn5046, was completely sequenced, and shown to be a chimera with the mer operon and the transposition module derived from the transposons related to Tn5041 and to Tn5044, respectively. Transposon Tn5070, showing no hybridization with the specific probes used in this study, was also completely sequenced. The transposition module of Tn5070 was most closely related to that of Tn3 while the mer operon was most closely related to that of plasmid pMERPH. The merR of Tn5070 is transcribed in the same direction as the mer structural genes, which is typical for mer operons of gram-positive bacteria. Our data suggest that environmental bacteria may harbor many not yet recognized mercury resistance transposons and warrant their further inventory.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mindlin
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
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