Mercury resistance in a plasmid-bearing strain of Escherichia coli.

Journal of bacteriology ·Vol. 112 ·No. 3 ·1972-12-00 ·Pages 1228-36

Summers AO, Silver S

Abstract

A strain of Escherichia coli carrying genes determining mercury resistance on a naturally occurring resistance transfer factor (RTF) converts 95% of 10(-5)m Hg(2+) (chloride) to metallic mercury at a rate of 4 to 5 nmoles of Hg(2+) per min per 10(8) cells. The metallic mercury is rapidly eliminated from the culture medium as mercury vapor. The volatilizing activity has a temperature dependence and heat sensitivity characteristic of enzymatic catalysis and is inducible by mercuric chloride. Ag(+) and Au(3+) are markedly inhibitory of mercury volatilization.

MeSH Terms

Catalysis Chlorides Chloroform Chromatography, Gas Drug Resistance, Microbial Escherichia coli/drug effects,growth & development,metabolism Extrachromosomal Inheritance Genes Genetics, Microbial Gold/pharmacology Mass Spectrometry Mercuribenzoates/pharmacology Mercury/metabolism,pharmacology Mercury Isotopes Silver/pharmacology Solvents Sulfhydryl Compounds/pharmacology Temperature Toluene Volatilization

Chemicals

Chlorides Mercuribenzoates Mercury Isotopes Solvents Sulfhydryl Compounds Toluene Silver Gold Chloroform Mercury

Authors & Affiliations

2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID

Summers A O

Silver S

References (15)

15 references, click to expand

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Article Info

Journal

Journal of bacteriology

Abbr.

J Bacteriol

ISSN

0021-9193

DOI

10.1128/jb.112.3.1228-1236.1972

Published

1972-12-00

Pages

1228-36

Language

English

Region

United States

NLM ID

2985120R

PMCID

PMC251553

Subset

External Links

PubMed source DOI: 10.1128/jb.112.3.1228-1236.1972 PMC Full Text View journal details

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Mercury resistance in a plasmid-bearing strain of Escherichia coli.

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