Mercury Uptake by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132: Passive or Active?
Abstract
Recent studies have identified HgcAB proteins as being responsible for mercury [Hg(II)] methylation by certain anaerobic microorganisms. However, it remains controversial whether microbes take up Hg(II) passively or actively. Here, we examine the dynamics of concurrent Hg(II) adsorption, uptake, and methylation by both viable and inactivated cells (heat-killed or starved) or spheroplasts of the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132 in laboratory incubations. We show that, without addition of thiols, >60% of the added Hg(II) (25 nM) was taken up passively in 48 h by live and inactivated cells and also by cells treated with the proton gradient uncoupler, carbonylcyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). Inactivation abolished Hg(II) methylation, but the cells continued taking up Hg(II), likely through competitive binding or ligand exchange of Hg(II) by intracellular proteins or thiol-containing cellular components. Similarly, treatment with CCCP impaired the ability of spheroplasts to methylate Hg(II) but did not stop Hg(II) uptake. Spheroplasts showed a greater capacity to adsorb Hg(II) than whole cells, and the level of cytoplasmic membrane-bound Hg(II) correlated well with MeHg production, as Hg(II) methylation is associated with cytoplasmic HgcAB. Our results indicate that active metabolism is not required for cellular Hg(II) uptake, thereby providing an improved understanding of Hg(II) bioavailability for methylation.
- Authors:
-
[2];
[2];
[2];
[3];
[4]
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Environmental Sciences Division; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang (China). Key Lab. of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Inst. of Applied Ecology
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Environmental Sciences Division
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Environmental Sciences Division; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1530103
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Environmental Science and Technology
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 53; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-936X
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Citation Formats
An, Jing, Zhang, Lijie, Lu, Xia, Pelletier, Dale A., Pierce, Eric M., Johs, Alexander, Parks, Jerry M., and Gu, Baohua. Mercury Uptake by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132: Passive or Active?. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1021/acs.est.9b00047.
An, Jing, Zhang, Lijie, Lu, Xia, Pelletier, Dale A., Pierce, Eric M., Johs, Alexander, Parks, Jerry M., & Gu, Baohua. Mercury Uptake by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132: Passive or Active?. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b00047
An, Jing, Zhang, Lijie, Lu, Xia, Pelletier, Dale A., Pierce, Eric M., Johs, Alexander, Parks, Jerry M., and Gu, Baohua. Fri .
"Mercury Uptake by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132: Passive or Active?". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b00047. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1530103.
@article{osti_1530103,
title = {Mercury Uptake by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132: Passive or Active?},
author = {An, Jing and Zhang, Lijie and Lu, Xia and Pelletier, Dale A. and Pierce, Eric M. and Johs, Alexander and Parks, Jerry M. and Gu, Baohua},
abstractNote = {Recent studies have identified HgcAB proteins as being responsible for mercury [Hg(II)] methylation by certain anaerobic microorganisms. However, it remains controversial whether microbes take up Hg(II) passively or actively. Here, we examine the dynamics of concurrent Hg(II) adsorption, uptake, and methylation by both viable and inactivated cells (heat-killed or starved) or spheroplasts of the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132 in laboratory incubations. We show that, without addition of thiols, >60% of the added Hg(II) (25 nM) was taken up passively in 48 h by live and inactivated cells and also by cells treated with the proton gradient uncoupler, carbonylcyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). Inactivation abolished Hg(II) methylation, but the cells continued taking up Hg(II), likely through competitive binding or ligand exchange of Hg(II) by intracellular proteins or thiol-containing cellular components. Similarly, treatment with CCCP impaired the ability of spheroplasts to methylate Hg(II) but did not stop Hg(II) uptake. Spheroplasts showed a greater capacity to adsorb Hg(II) than whole cells, and the level of cytoplasmic membrane-bound Hg(II) correlated well with MeHg production, as Hg(II) methylation is associated with cytoplasmic HgcAB. Our results indicate that active metabolism is not required for cellular Hg(II) uptake, thereby providing an improved understanding of Hg(II) bioavailability for methylation.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.9b00047},
journal = {Environmental Science and Technology},
number = 11,
volume = 53,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri May 10 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Fri May 10 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}
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