Abstract
WE have screened a large number of R plasmid-bearing Escherichia coli and obtained a few that confer resistance to the organomercurials phenylmercuric acetate (PMA) and methylmercuric chloride (MMA). Resistance to cationic Hg(II) in E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa has invariably been associated with plasmids that also mediate resistance to various antibiotics (R plasmids)1–6. The mechanism of mercury resistance, is the enzymatic reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0), which is volatile2,7,8. Previously, no organomercurial-reducing E. coli strains have been reported. The only organomercurial-reducing strain studied in detail is a PMA-resistant soil pseu-domonad7–9. As organomercurials including PMA are a human health problem10, it will be of interest to see if the mercury(ial) resistance of the bacteria in our alimentary canal influences the fate of ingested mercury(ials).
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Izaki, K., Tashiro, Y., and Funaba, T., J. Biochem., (Tokyo), 75, 591–599 (1974).
Summers, A. O., and Silver, S., J. Bact., 112, 1228–1236 (1972).
Summers, A. O., and Sugarman, L. I., J. Bact. (in the press).
Summers, A. O., and Lewis, E., J. Bact., 113, 1070–1072 (1972).
Novick, R. P., Bact. Rev., 33, 210–235 (1969).
Loutit, J. S., Genet. Res. Cambridge, 16, 179–184 (1970).
Furukawa, K., Suzuki, T., and Tonomura, K., Agr. biol. Chem., 33, 128–130 (1969).
Tonomura, K., Furukawa, K., and Yamada, M., in Environmental Toxicology of Pesticides (edit. by Matsumura, F., Boush, G. M., and Misato, T.), 115–133 (Academic Press, New York, 1972).
Furukawa, K., and Tonomura, K., Agr. biol. Chem., 36, 217–226, 2441–2448 (1972).
Bakir, F., et al., Science, 181, 230–241 (1973).
Hedges, R. W., Molec. gen. Genet., 115, 225–233 (1972).
Hedges, R. W., Datta, N., Coetzee, J. M., and Dennison, S., J. gen. Microbiol., 77, 249–259 (1973).
Harwood, J., and Smith, D. H., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 42, 57–62 (1971).
Chabbert, Y. A., and Baudens, J. G., Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 380–383 (1965).
Groves, D. J., Maroglio, L., Merriam, C. W., and Young, F. E., Computer Programs in Biomedicine, 3, 123–134 (1973).
Chabbert, Y. A., Scavizzi, M. R., Witchitz, J. L., Gerbaud, G. R., and Bouanchaud, D. H., J. Bact., 112, 666–675 (1972).
Davies, J. E., and Rownd, R., Science, 176, 758–768 (1972).
Hedges, R. W., Rodriguez-Lemoine, V., and Datta, N., J. gen Microbiol. (in the press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
SCHOTTEL, J., MANDAL, A., CLARK, D. et al. Volatilisation of mercury and organomercurials determined by inducible R-factor systems in enteric bacteria. Nature 251, 335–337 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/251335a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/251335a0
This article is cited by
-
Analytical Methods, Occurrence, Fate, and Toxicity of Ethylmercury in the Environment: Review and Outlook
Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (2023)
-
Intestinal microbiota protects against methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity
BioMetals (2023)
-
Co-occurrence of resistance genes to antibiotics, biocides and metals reveals novel insights into their co-selection potential
BMC Genomics (2015)
-
BioMetals: a historical and personal perspective
BioMetals (2011)
-
The isolation and initial characterization of mercury resistant chemolithotrophic thermophilic bacteria from mercury rich geothermal springs
Extremophiles (2007)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.