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Journal article
Detection of the merA gene and its expression in the environment
Microbial ecology, Vol.32(3), pp.293-303
11/01/1996
PMID: 8849424
Web of Science ID: WOS:A1996VH38800006
Abstract
Bacterial transformation of mercury in the environment has received much attention owing to the toxicity of both the ionic form and organomercurial compounds. Bacterial resistance to mercury and the role of bacteria in mercury cycling have been widely studied. The genes specifying the required functions for resistance to mercury are organized on the mer operon. Gene probing methodologies have been used for several years to detect specific gene sequences in the environment that are homologous to cloned mer genes. While mer genes have been detected in a wide variety of environments, less is known about the expression of these genes under environmental conditions. We combined new methodologies for recovering specific gene mRNA transcripts and mercury detection with a previously described method for determining biological potential for mercury volatilization to examine the effect of mercury concentrations and nutrient availability on rates of mercury volatilization and merA transcription. Levels of merA-specific transcripts and Hg(II) volatilization were influenced more by microbial activity (as manipulated by nutrient additions) than by the concentration of total mercury. The detection of merA-specific transcripts in some samples that did not reduce Hg(II) suggests that rates of mercury volatilization in the environment may not always be proportional to merA transcription.
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Details
- Title
- Detection of the merA gene and its expression in the environment
- Publication Details
- Microbial ecology, Vol.32(3), pp.293-303
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Springer New York LLC
- Copyright
- © 1996, Springer-Verlag New York Inc
- Identifiers
- WOS:A1996VH38800006; 99380184618606600
- Academic Unit
- Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering ; Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation
- Language
- English