Adaptation of aquatic microbial communities to pollutant stress.
The importance of microbial adaptation in the removal of environmental pollutants and in maintaining active microbial communities in impacted ecosystems is discussed using the biodegradation of p-nitrophenol and the volatilization of mercuric mercury as examples. A molecular mechanism of adaptation is suggested by enrichment of mercury resistance (mer) genes in some communities upon exposure to mercury.
Barkay
T
T
US Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561.
Pritchard
H
H
D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001711:Biotransformation; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008628:Mercury / Q000494:pharmacology; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury