Cloning and DNA sequence of the mercuric- and organomercurial-resistance determinants of plasmid pDU1358

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.84.10.3112· OSTI ID:5588462

Griffin, H G; Foster, T J; Silver, S; Misra, T K

The broad-spectrum mercurial-resistance plasmid pDU1358 was analyzed by cloning the resistance determinants and preparing a physical and genetic map of a 45-kilobase (kb) region of the plasmid that contains two separate mercurial-resistance operons that mapped about 20 kb apart. One encoded narrow-spectrum mercurial resistance to Hg/sup 2 +/ and a few organomercurials; the other specified broad-spectrum resistance to phenylmercury and additional organomercurials. Each determinant governed mercurial transport functions. Southern DNA x DNA hybridization experiments using gene-specific probes from the plasmid R100 mer operon indicated close homology with the R100 deteminant. The 2153 base pairs of the promoter-distal part of the broad-spectrum Hg/sup 2 +/-resistance operon of pDU1358 were sequenced. This region included the 3'-terminal part of the merA gene, merD, unidentified reading frame URF1, and a part of URF2 homologous to previously sequenced determinants of plasmid R100. Between the merA and merD genes, an open reading frame encoding a 212 amino acid polypeptide was identified as the merB gene that determines the enzyme organomercurial lyase that cleaves the C-Hg bond of phenylmercury.

• Research Organization: Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO
• OSTI ID: 5588462
• Journal Information: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States), Journal Name: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States) Vol. 84:10; ISSN PNASA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACETATES
BACTERIA
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CATIONS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CLONING
DNA SEQUENCING
DNA-CLONING
ELEMENTS
ENZYMES
ESCHERICHIA COLI
GALACTOSIDASE
GENETIC MAPPING
GLYCOSYL HYDROLASES
HYBRIDIZATION
HYDROLASES
IONS
MAPPING
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
MESSENGER-RNA
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
O-GLYCOSYL HYDROLASES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLASMIDS
RNA
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
TOXICITY