Metabolic studies of Hg-203 on Chlamydomonas reinhardi.
Sterile cultures of Chlamydomonas reinhardi, WT+, were treated with Hg-203 at 25 degrees C to identify probably formed volatile mercury compounds. Experiments were performed with living and dead cells under aerobic or anaerobic conditions, respectively, and the mercury concentration was measured in the system algae/nutrient medium. We found a timerelated decrease of mercury concentration in the cell suspension and the cell-free nutrient medium due to a reduction of Hg++ to Hg0, probably caused by extracellular enzymes; monomethyl or dimethyl mercury could not be detected.
D002696:Chlamydomonas / Q000378:metabolism*; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism*; D008631:Mercury Radioisotopes; D013997:Time Factors; D014835:Volatilization
D008631:Mercury Radioisotopes; D008628:Mercury