Abstract
Resistance to mercuric chloride and to a wide variety of mercurial compounds including phenylmercuric acetate (PMA), methylmercuric chloride (MMC), merbromin and thimerosal is determined by genes on transmissible antibiotic transmissable resistance factors (R factors) in the enterics, staph and pseudomonads. Some plasmids determine resistance to mercuric acid alone while others determine resistance to a range of mercurials in addition to Hg(II). In more than 50 cases studied, mercury resistance is always associated with the ability to volatilize mercury from the medium. Where determined, the volatility mercury form is always metallic Hg(O): Hg(II) is reduced to Hg(O), PMA to Hg(O) plus benzene, and MMC to Hg(O) plus methane. The enzyme systems responsible are soluble rather than membrane bound and are produced only after induction of the cells by exposure to any of a variety of mercurials (generally, the range of inducers is wider than the range of substrates for the enzymes). Data are presented in graphical and tabular form.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages | 65-71 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| State | Published - 1974 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | Int Conf on Transp of Persistent Chem in Aquat Ecosyst, Proc - Ottawa, Ont, Can Duration: May 1 1974 → May 3 1974 |
Other
| Other | Int Conf on Transp of Persistent Chem in Aquat Ecosyst, Proc |
|---|---|
| City | Ottawa, Ont, Can |
| Period | 5/1/74 → 5/3/74 |