title: Volatilization of metal mercury from Organomercurials by highly mercury-resistant Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans MON-1.
abstract: The iron-oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans MON-1 is highly resistant not only to mercuric chloride (HgCl(2)) but also to organomercurials such as methylmercury chloride (MMC). We have found that cytochrome c oxidase, purified from strain MON-1, reduces Hg(2+) to volatilizable metal mercury (Hg(0)) with reduced mammalian cytochrome c or Fe(2+) as an electron donor. In this study we found that cytochrome c oxidase can volatilize Hg(0) from MMC as well as from Hg(2+) with reduced mammalian cytochrome c or c-type cytochrome purified from strain MON-1 as an electron donor. We also found that MMC-Hg(0) volatilization activity is present in the MON-1 plasma membrane but not in the cytosol. These activities were strongly inhibited by sodium cyanide (NaCN) and the antibody produced against purified MON-1 cytochrome c oxidase. This is the first report to indicate that cytochrome c oxidase is involved in the degradation of organomercurials in microorganisms.
authors.affiliation: Division of Bioscience, The Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan. sugio@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugio
authors.forename: Tomoe
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komoda
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okazaki
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Sousaku
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
mesh_terms: D042763:Acidithiobacillus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000378:metabolism; D008628:Mercury / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D009941:Organomercury Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D012966:Sodium Cyanide / Q000494:pharmacology; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D009941:Organomercury Compounds; D008627:Mercuric Chloride; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D008628:Mercury; D012966:Sodium Cyanide; C004925:methylmercuric chloride