Organomercurial resistance in Pseudomonads

Journal Article · Fri Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1976 · Am Soc Microbiol: Abstr Annu Meet; (United States)

OSTI ID:6451569

Clark, D L; Silver, S

Each of the five Pseudomonas plasmids tested that confer resistance to inorganic Hg/sup 2 +/ also confer resistance to organomercurials. P. aeruginosa plasmids pMG1, pMG2, FP2/sup +/ and R3108 and P. putida plasmid MER confer resistance to p-hydroxymercuribenzoate (pHMB), florescein mercuric acetate (FMA) and merbromin (MBR). Plasmids FP2/sup +/ and R3108 confer, in addition, resistance to the organomercurials phenylmercury acetate and thimerosal. Atomic absorption spectroscopy measurements showed that the three organomercurials to which all of the plasmids confer resistance were not reductively decomposed; whereas the organomercurials phenylmercury, thimerosal and also methylmercury and ethylmercury were decomposed by the resistant bacteria, first by hydrolysis of the C-Hg bond followed by reduction of Hg/sup 2 +/ to volatile Hg/sup 0/. While the Pseudomonas plasmids conferred resistance to pHMB, FMA and MBR, a series of 19 plasmids in E. coli conferred resistance to MBR and FMA but not to pHMB and a series of four S. aureus plasmids conferred resistance to FMA and pHMB but not MBR. Several genetic determinants (all on plasmids) must be responsible for resistance to organomercurials and two mechanisms must be involved: deductive decomposition and one limiting access of the organomercurials to the mercurial-sensitive cellular sites.

• Research Organization: Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO
• OSTI ID: 6451569
• Journal Information: Am Soc Microbiol: Abstr Annu Meet; (United States), Journal Name: Am Soc Microbiol: Abstr Annu Meet; (United States) Vol. 77
• 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.
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
METHYLMERCURY
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
PLASMIDS
PSEUDOMONAS
SPECTROSCOPY