title: Bacterial metal-resistance proteins and their use in biosensors for the detection of bioavailable heavy metals.
abstract: We have expressed and purified metal-resistance and metal regulatory proteins from the bacterial determinants of resistance to heavy metals and utilised these in the development of biosensors for heavy metals. Both the metallothionein from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC 7942 and the MerR regulatory protein from transposon Tn501 allow the detection of non-specific metal binding down to 10(-15) M concentrations of Hg(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) in pure solution. Differential effects of the metals can be detected at both low and high concentrations, and the shape of the capacitance curves may reflect biologically relevant responses of the proteins to metals. Further work is required to establish the relationship between the detected binding of metal and the biological response of the protein, or to provide biosensors of use in the natural environment.
authors.affiliation: Lund University, Centre for Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, Sweden.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bontidean
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hobman
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Csöregi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mattiasson
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001682:Biological Availability; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C051124:MerR protein, Bacteria; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C080048:smtA protein, Synechococcus; D002104:Cadmium; D003300:Copper; D008668:Metallothionein; D008628:Mercury; D015032:Zinc