title: Mercuric resistance genes in gram-positive oral bacteria.
abstract: Mercury-resistant bacteria isolated from the oral cavities of children carried one of two types of merA gene that appear to have evolved from a common ancestor. Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus mitis and a few other species had merA genes that were very similar to merA of Bacillus cereus strain RC607. Unlike the B. cereus RC607 merA gene, however, the streptococcal merA genes were not carried on Tn5084-like transposons. Instead, comparisons with microbial genomic sequences suggest the merA gene is located on a novel type II transposon. Coagulase-negative staphylococci and Streptococcus parasanguis had identical merA genes that represent a new merA variant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, UK. paul.stapleton@ulsop.ac.uk
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stapleton
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pike
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mullany
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rowbury
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Richards
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D017669:Mercury Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D034361:Streptococcus mitis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019533:Streptococcus oralis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019895:Transposases / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004202:Disinfectants; D017669:Mercury Compounds; D019895:Transposases