Phenylmercury transport mediated by merT-merP genes of Pseudomonas K-62 plasmid pMR26.
The merB-merA-deleted plasmid pMRD141 which contains the intact merT-merP genes of pMRA17 conferred bacterial hypersensitivity not only to Hg2+ but also to C6H5Hg+. The bacterium with pMRD141 took up significantly more C6H5Hg+ than its isogenic strain with the cloning vector Bluescript II. The hypersensitivity to C6H5Hg+ seems to be based on hyperaccumulation of toxic C6H5Hg+ in the absence of detoxifying enzymes encoded by merB and merA. Our results show that bacterial transport of C6H5Hg+ into the cytoplasm is regulated by merT-merP genes.
Uno
Y
Y
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University, Nagaotogecho, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan.
Kiyono
M
M
Tezuka
T
T
Pan-Hou
H
H
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001692:Biological Transport; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010663:Phenylmercury Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D010957:Plasmids; D011506:Proteins; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000235:genetics*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C086060:MerP protein, Bacteria; D010663:Phenylmercury Compounds; D011506:Proteins; C094115:mercury transport protein, bacterial