Volatilisation of mercury and organomercurials determined by inducible R-factor systems in enteric bacteria

Janet Schottel; Amalendu Mandal; Dan Clark; Simon Silver; R. W. Hedges

doi:10.1038/251335a0

Volatilisation of mercury and organomercurials determined by inducible R-factor systems in enteric bacteria

Janet Schottel, Amalendu Mandal, Dan Clark, Simon Silver, R. W. Hedges

Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics (CBS)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

118 Scopus citations

Abstract

WE have screened a large number of R plasmid-bearing Escherichia coli and obtained a few that confer resistance to the organomercurials phenylmercuric acetate (PMA) and methylmercuric chloride (MMA). Resistance to cationic Hg(II) in E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa has invariably been associated with plasmids that also mediate resistance to various antibiotics (R plasmids)^1-6. The mechanism of mercury resistance, is the enzymatic reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0), which is volatile^2,7,8. Previously, no organomercurial-reducing E. coli strains have been reported. The only organomercurial-reducing strain studied in detail is a PMA-resistant soil pseu-domonad^7-9. As organomercurials including PMA are a human health problem¹⁰, it will be of interest to see if the mercury(ial) resistance of the bacteria in our alimentary canal influences the fate of ingested mercury(ials).

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	335-337
Number of pages	3
Journal	Nature
Volume	251
Issue number	5473
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/251335a0
State	Published - 1974

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goal(s)

Access

10.1038/251335a0

Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Volatilisation of mercury and organomercurials determined by inducible R-factor systems in enteric bacteria'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this

@article{3d757bb995a64344915398dcf3e1d1e1,

title = "Volatilisation of mercury and organomercurials determined by inducible R-factor systems in enteric bacteria",

abstract = "WE have screened a large number of R plasmid-bearing Escherichia coli and obtained a few that confer resistance to the organomercurials phenylmercuric acetate (PMA) and methylmercuric chloride (MMA). Resistance to cationic Hg(II) in E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa has invariably been associated with plasmids that also mediate resistance to various antibiotics (R plasmids)1-6. The mechanism of mercury resistance, is the enzymatic reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0), which is volatile2,7,8. Previously, no organomercurial-reducing E. coli strains have been reported. The only organomercurial-reducing strain studied in detail is a PMA-resistant soil pseu-domonad7-9. As organomercurials including PMA are a human health problem10, it will be of interest to see if the mercury(ial) resistance of the bacteria in our alimentary canal influences the fate of ingested mercury(ials).",

author = "Janet Schottel and Amalendu Mandal and Dan Clark and Simon Silver and Hedges, {R. W.}",

year = "1974",

doi = "10.1038/251335a0",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "251",

pages = "335--337",

journal = "Nature",

issn = "0028-0836",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "5473",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Volatilisation of mercury and organomercurials determined by inducible R-factor systems in enteric bacteria

AU - Schottel, Janet

AU - Mandal, Amalendu

AU - Clark, Dan

AU - Silver, Simon

AU - Hedges, R. W.

PY - 1974

Y1 - 1974

N2 - WE have screened a large number of R plasmid-bearing Escherichia coli and obtained a few that confer resistance to the organomercurials phenylmercuric acetate (PMA) and methylmercuric chloride (MMA). Resistance to cationic Hg(II) in E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa has invariably been associated with plasmids that also mediate resistance to various antibiotics (R plasmids)1-6. The mechanism of mercury resistance, is the enzymatic reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0), which is volatile2,7,8. Previously, no organomercurial-reducing E. coli strains have been reported. The only organomercurial-reducing strain studied in detail is a PMA-resistant soil pseu-domonad7-9. As organomercurials including PMA are a human health problem10, it will be of interest to see if the mercury(ial) resistance of the bacteria in our alimentary canal influences the fate of ingested mercury(ials).

AB - WE have screened a large number of R plasmid-bearing Escherichia coli and obtained a few that confer resistance to the organomercurials phenylmercuric acetate (PMA) and methylmercuric chloride (MMA). Resistance to cationic Hg(II) in E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa has invariably been associated with plasmids that also mediate resistance to various antibiotics (R plasmids)1-6. The mechanism of mercury resistance, is the enzymatic reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0), which is volatile2,7,8. Previously, no organomercurial-reducing E. coli strains have been reported. The only organomercurial-reducing strain studied in detail is a PMA-resistant soil pseu-domonad7-9. As organomercurials including PMA are a human health problem10, it will be of interest to see if the mercury(ial) resistance of the bacteria in our alimentary canal influences the fate of ingested mercury(ials).

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0016337514&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0016337514&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/251335a0

DO - 10.1038/251335a0

M3 - Article

C2 - 4610398

AN - SCOPUS:0016337514

VL - 251

SP - 335

EP - 337

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

SN - 0028-0836

IS - 5473

ER -