Degradation of methylmercury by selenium
Journal Article
·
· Life Sci.; (United States)
When methylmercury was incubated in the presence of selenite and reduced glutathione (GSH), the mercury which was extracted into benzene under acidic condition decreased gradually with the elapse of time. This decrease was due to the cleavage of mercury-carbon bond of methylmercury. The reaction did not proceed when selenite or GSH was singly added to the reaction mixture. L-Cysteine, 2-mercaptoethanol and sodium sulfide in place of GSH also were effective for decomposition of methylmercury in combination with selenite, but oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and L-cystine were not. This suggested that reduction of selenite is needed for the degradation of methylmercury. Thus, the effect of reduced metabolites of selenite produced by GSH was investigated. Glutathione selenotrisulfide (GSSeSG) required GSH for the degradation of methylmercury, whereas H/sub 2/Se possessed a strong activity even in the absence of GSH. This may indicate that H/sub 2/Se is involved directly in the conversion of methylmercury to inorganic mercury. This phenomenon found in in vitro experiments is discussed in relation to the biotransformation of methylmercury.
- Research Organization:
- Osaka Univ., Japan
- OSTI ID:
- 7065528
- Journal Information:
- Life Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: Life Sci.; (United States) Vol. 31:9; ISSN LIFSA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
550500 -- Metabolism
560301* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Cells-- (-1987)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DECOMPOSITION
DRUGS
ELEMENTS
GLUTATHIONE
IN VITRO
METABOLITES
METHYLMERCURY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
PEPTIDES
POLYPEPTIDES
PROTEINS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOPROTECTIVE SUBSTANCES
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
560301* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Cells-- (-1987)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DECOMPOSITION
DRUGS
ELEMENTS
GLUTATHIONE
IN VITRO
METABOLITES
METHYLMERCURY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
PEPTIDES
POLYPEPTIDES
PROTEINS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOPROTECTIVE SUBSTANCES
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES