Mercury and organomercurial resistances determined by plasmids in Staphylococcus aureus

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1977 · J. Bacteriol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6179715

Weiss, A A; Murphy, S D; Silver, S

Penicillinase plasmids of Staphylococcus aureus often contain genes conferring resistance to inorganic mercury (Hg/sup 2 +/) and the organomercurial phenylmercury acetate. The mechanism of resistance was found to be the enzymatic hydrolysis of the organomercurial phenylmercury to benzene plus inorganic ionic mercury, which was then enzymatically reduced to metallic mercury (Hg/sup 0/). The Hg/sup 0/ was rapidly volatilized from the medium into the atmosphere. After the mercurial was degraded and the mercury was volatilized, the resistant cells were able to grow. These plasmids also conferred the ability to volatilize mercury from thimerosal, although the plasmid-bearing strains were equally as thimerosal sensitive as the S. aureus without plasmids. None of the plasmids conferred the ability to volatilize mercury from several other Organomercurials, however: methylmercury, ethylmercury, p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, merbromin, and fluorescein mercuric acetate. (organomercurial resistance-conferring plasmids of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa that the authors have been studying confer the ability to degrade two or three of these organomercurials). Although mercury was not volatilized from p-hydroxymercuribenzoate or fluorescein mercuric acetate, the plasmid-bearing strains were resistant to these organomercurials. The ability to volatilize mercury from Hg/sup 2 +/ and phenylmercury was inducible. The range of inducers included Hg/sup 2 +/, phenylmercury, and several organomercurials that were not substrates for the degradation system.

• Research Organization: Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO
• OSTI ID: 6179715
• Journal Information: J. Bacteriol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Bacteriol.; (United States) Vol. 132:1; ISSN JOBAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560302* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Microorganisms-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BACTERIA
CELL CONSTITUENTS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ELEMENTS
ENZYMES
MERCURY
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
METABOLISM
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
PLASMIDS
SENSITIVITY
STAPHYLOCOCCUS
TOXICITY
VARIATIONS