Abstract
Bioconversion of Hg and Molecular Characterization of merA and merB Gene in a Clone Constructed by Culture Independent Technique
Highlights
Mercury (Hg) is naturally occurring element found in environment and amongst the top most toxic elements in the plethora of 6 million substances and found in earth crust at varied array from 21 to 56 ppb1 in the elemental form and mixture of minerals2 It is one of the most widely used heavy metal due to its characteristic feature to form amalgams with other metals and in agriculture as bactericides, fungicides, insecticides and herbicides.These anthropogenic usages of mercury have led to pollute the water bodies and surrounding soil by direct and indirect discharge of mercury, which in turn has turn hazardous to the organisms living in such habitat and is one of the major concerns to human health as it could lead to neurotoxic diseases
Gene merA encodes for enzyme known as “mercury reductase” that converts the inorganic form of mercury (Hg2+) to volatile and less toxic form of mercury (Hgo) and merB genes encodes for organomercury lyase that breaks down organic form of mercury (CH3 Hg + ) to Hg2+
Various researchers have found that there are many bacteria which can convert toxic form of (Hg2+ ) to non-toxic form of mercury (Hgo). These microorganisms are of great use as they play important role in biological degradation of mercury in its habitat3
Summary
Mercury (Hg) is naturally occurring element found in environment and amongst the top most toxic elements in the plethora of 6 million substances and found in earth crust at varied array from 21 (lower crust) to 56 (upper crust) ppb in the elemental form and mixture of minerals (hypercinnabar, metacinnabar and cinnabar etc.) It is one of the most widely used heavy metal due to its characteristic feature to form amalgams with other metals (dental amalgams or gold extraction) and in agriculture as bactericides, fungicides, insecticides and herbicides These anthropogenic usages of mercury have led to pollute the water bodies and surrounding soil by direct and indirect discharge of mercury, which in turn has turn hazardous to the organisms living in such habitat and is one of the major concerns to human health as it could lead to neurotoxic diseases. The presence of antibiotic resistance is thought to be linked with the presence of mercury found in environment
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