title: Capacity of mercury volatilization by mer (from Escherichia coli) and glutathione S-transferase (from Schistosoma mansoni) genes cloned in Escherichia coli.
abstract: A study was carried out to evaluate the capacity for mercury volatilization by genetically engineered strains that express the mer and glutathione S-transferase genes from Escherichia coli and Schistosoma mansoni, respectively. This method enabled strains containing simultaneously mer and glutathione S-transferase genes to grow in high concentrations of mercuric chloride (30 microg/ml) and to volatilize part of the mercury (248 microg/g cell dry wt.) present in the culture medium, while strains bearing only a single gene, did not have the same behavior. Up to 70% of the total mercury of bacterial volatilization occurred in the first 4 h. Although the findings were preliminary, the genetically engineered strain containing simultaneously the mer and glutathione S-transferase genes show a great potential for bioremediation. It may be used in a closed system to remove by volatilization, and recover mercury (Hg0) from contaminated effluents, such as industrial effluent, for instance.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cursino
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Mattos
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galarza
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Bücker
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chartone-Souza
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nascimento
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism*; D009876:Operon; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D008628:Mercury