Sequence and analysis of a plasmid-encoded mercury resistance operon from Mycobacterium marinum identifies MerH, a new mercuric ion transporter

J Bacteriol. 2009 Jan;191(1):439-44. doi: 10.1128/JB.01063-08. Epub 2008 Oct 17.

Abstract

In this study, we report the DNA sequence and biological analysis of a mycobacterial mercury resistance operon encoding a novel Hg(2+) transporter. MerH was found to transport mercuric ions in Escherichia coli via a pair of essential cysteine residues but only when coexpressed with the mercuric reductase.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cation Transport Proteins / genetics*
  • Cation Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Conserved Sequence
  • DNA Primers
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Mercury Compounds / metabolism*
  • Mercury Compounds / pharmacology*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mycobacterium marinum / drug effects*
  • Mycobacterium marinum / genetics*
  • Operon / genetics*
  • Plasmids
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cation Transport Proteins
  • DNA Primers
  • Mercury Compounds