title: Volatilization of mercury by resting mercury-resistant bacterial cells.
abstract: The mercuric ion reduction system encoded by the Hg2+ inducible mer operon confers bacterial resistance to mercuric ion. The mer A gene product which is a FAD-containing enzyme catalyzes the reduction of Hg2+ to volatile elemental mercury with the help of intracellular thiols and NADPH as a cofactor (Schottel 1974; Summers and Silver 1978; Fox and Walsh 1982; Misra 1992). Our earlier studies have shown that growing cells of different mercury-resistant bacteria reduce Hg2+ compounds to Hg(O) (Ray et al. 1989; Pahan et al. 1990a; Gachhui et al. 1989). We have also shown the effect of thiol compounds and flavins on mercury-degrading enzyme activities in mercury-resistant bacteria (Pahan et al. 1990b). Here we report that resting cells of mercury-resistant bacteria survive in a buffer system for several hours, synthesize inducible mercury-degrading enzymes and volatilize mercury from a mercury-containing buffer system. We know of no information regarding studies of mercury-degrading enzymes in resting mercury-resistant bacterial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University College of Science, Calcutta, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Sadhukhan
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mandal
mesh_terms: D001395:Azotobacter / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001711:Biotransformation; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D008628:Mercury / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D010088:Oxidoreductases; D008628:Mercury