Simultaneous detection and removal of organomercurial compounds by using the genetic expression system of an organomercury lyase from the transposon Tn MERI1.
Using a newly identified organomercury lyase gene (merB3) expression system from Tn MERI1, the mercury resistance transposon first found in Gram-positive bacteria, a dual-purpose system to detect and remove organomercurial contamination was developed. A plasmid was constructed by fusing the promoterless luxAB genes as bioluminescence reporter genes downstream of the merB3 gene and its operator/promoter region. Another plasmid, encoding mer operon genes from merR1 to merA, was also constructed to generate an expression regulatory protein, MerR1, and a mercury reductase enzyme, MerA. These two plasmids were transformed into Escherichia coli cells to produce a biological system that can detect and remove environmental organomercury contamination. Organomercurial compounds, such as neurotoxic methylmercury at nanomolar levels, were detected using the biomonitoring system within a few minutes and were removed during the next few hours.
Narita
M
M
Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Tohoku Gakuin University, 1-13-1 Chuo, Tagajo, Miyagi, 985-8537, Japan.
Yamagata
T
T
Ishii
H
H
Huang
C-C
CC
Endo
G
G
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D008190:Lyases / Q000378:metabolism; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D009941:Organomercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D010663:Phenylmercury Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids / Q000138:chemical synthesis
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C051124:MerR protein, Bacteria; D009941:Organomercury Compounds; D010663:Phenylmercury Compounds; D008190:Lyases; C050953:alkylmercury lyase; D008628:Mercury