title: Methylmercury degradation by Pseudomonas putida V1.
abstract: Environmental contamination of mercury (Hg) has caused public health concerns with focuses on the neurotoxic substance methylmercury, due to its bioaccumulation and biomagnification in food chains. The goals of the present study were to examine: (i) the transformation of methylmercury, thimerosal, phenylmercuric acetate and mercuric chloride by cultures of Pseudomonas putida V1, (ii) the presence of the genes merA and merB in P. putida V1, and (iii) the degradation pathways of methylmercury by P. putida V1. Strain V1 cultures readily degraded methylmercury, thimerosal, phenylmercury acetate, and reduced mercuric chloride into gaseous Hg(0). However, the Hg transformation in LB broth by P. putida V1 was influenced by the type of Hg compounds. The merA gene was detected in P. putida V1, on the other hand, the merB gene was not detected. The sequencing of this gene, showed high similarity (100%) to the mercuric reductase gene of other Pseudomonas spp. Furthermore, tests using radioactive (14)C-methylmercury indicated an uncommon release of (14)CO2 concomitant with the production of Hg(0). The results of the present work suggest that P. putida V1 has the potential to remove methylmercury from contaminated sites. More studies are warranted to determine the mechanism of removal of methylmercury by P. putida V1.
authors.affiliation: Microbial Resources Division - Research Center for Chemistry, Biology and Agriculture (CPQBA), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Av. Alexandre Cazelatto, 999, Campinas, SP 13148-218, Brazil. Electronic address: luc.g.cabral@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lucélia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Tyler - Department of Biology, 3900 University Blvd., Tyler, Texas 75799, United States.
authors.forename: Ri-Qing
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, 76 Lipman Drive - New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8525, United States.
authors.forename: Sharron
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crane
authors.affiliation: Departament of Soil Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, 7712 Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 91540-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giovanella
authors.affiliation: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, 76 Lipman Drive - New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8525, United States.
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barkay
authors.affiliation: Departament of Soil Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, 7712 Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 91540-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávio A O
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Camargo
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation; D008190:Lyases / Q000235:genetics; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000378:metabolism; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D010662:Phenylmercuric Acetate / Q000378:metabolism; D016958:Pseudomonas putida / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013849:Thimerosal / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D013849:Thimerosal; D008627:Mercuric Chloride; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C021551:mercuric reductase; D008190:Lyases; C097247:MerB protein, Bacteria; D010662:Phenylmercuric Acetate
keywords: Contaminated sites; Environment; Methylmercury; P. putida; mer operon