Characterization of a mercury-reducing Bacillus cereus strain isolated from the Pulicat Lake sediments, south east coast of India

Kannan, SK and Mahadevan, S and Krishnamoorthy, R (2006) Characterization of a mercury-reducing Bacillus cereus strain isolated from the Pulicat Lake sediments, south east coast of India. In: Archives of Microbiology , 185 (3). pp. 202-211.

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Abstract

Pulicat Lake sediments are often severely polluted with the toxic heavy metal mercury. Several mercury-resistant strains of Bacillus species were isolated from the sediments and all the isolates exhibited broad spectrum resistance (resistance to both organic and inorganic mercuric compounds). Plasmid curing assay showed that all the isolated Bacillus strains carry chromosomally borne mercury resistance. Polymerase chain reaction and southern hybridization analyses using merA and merB3 gene primers/probes showed that five of the isolated Bacillus strains carry sequences similar to known merA and merB3 genes. Results of multiple sequence alignment revealed 99% similarity with merA and merB3 of TnMERI1 (class II transposons). Other mercury resistant Bacillus species lacking homology to these genes were not able to volatilize mercuric chloride, indicating the presence of other modes of resistance to mercuric compounds.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Archives of Microbiology
Publisher:	Springer-Verlag
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Springer.
Keywords:	mercury reduction; Bacillus cereus; pulicat Lake; heavy metals; horizontal gene exchange.
Department/Centre:	Division of Biological Sciences > Molecular Reproduction, Development & Genetics
Date Deposited:	20 Oct 2010 09:23
Last Modified:	20 Oct 2010 09:23
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/32724

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