Bacterial degradation and utilization of merbromine and fluorescein mercuric acetate.
01 Mar 1992-Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (Bull Environ Contam Toxicol)-Vol. 48, Iss: 3, pp 421-427
About: This article is published in Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.The article was published on 1992-03-01. It has received 4 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Fluorescein.
Citations
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TL;DR: Five nitrogen-fixing Azotobacter strains isolated from agricultural farms in West Bengal, India, were resistant to mercuric ion and organomercurials and NADPH and GSH might have a role in suppressing the inhibition of N 2 -fixation in the presence of Hg compounds.
Abstract: Five nitrogen-fixing Azotobacter strains isolated from agricultural farms in West Bengal, India, were resistant to mercuric ion and organomercurials. Resistance of Hg-resistant bacteria to mercury compounds is mediated by the activities of mercuric reductase and organomercurial lyase in the presence of NADPH and GSH as cofactors. These bacteria showed an extended lag phase in the presence of 10-50 μmol l -1 HgCl 2 . Nitrogen-fixing ability of these isolates was slightly inhibited when the mercury-resistant bacterial cells were preincubated with 10 μmol l -1 HgCl 2 . Acetylene reduction by these bacteria was significantly inhibited (91-97%) by 50 μmol l -1 HgCl 2 . However, when GSH and NADPH were added to the acetylene reduction assay mixture containing 50 nmol l -1 HgCl 2 , only 42-50% inhibition of nitrogenase activity was observed. NADPH and GSH might have a role in suppressing the inhibition of N 2 -fixation in the presence of Hg compounds either by assisting Hg-detoxifying enzymes to lower Hg concentration in the assay mixture or by formation of adduct comprising Hg and GSH which is unable to inhibit nitrogen fixation.
7 citations
TL;DR: To determine whether the local application of mercurochrome over genital skin before surgery, in addition to soap/water scrubs, can help to decrease the incidence of infection patients undergoing hypospadias repair, and therebyThe incidence of fistula formation.
Abstract: Objective To determine whether the local application of mercurochrome over genital skin before surgery, in addition to soap/water scrubs, can help to decrease the incidence of infection patients undergoing hypospadias repair, and thereby the incidence of fistula formation.
Patients and methods The study comprised 44 consecutive boys undergoing primary or repeat surgery for hypospadias between October 1999 and April 2000. They were arbitrarily divided into two groups; group 1 received a conventional local scrub with soap/water 48 h before surgery and group 2, a conventional local scrub with soap/water was followed by a local application of 2% mercurochrome for 48 h before surgery. Both groups were comparable in age, location of the meatus and stage of repair. All patients were exposed to similar conditions during and after surgery. Urine, skin and wound swabs taken before during and after surgery were assessed microbiologically, using standard precautions. The incidence of infection and complications was then compared.
Results Mercurochrome significantly decreased local infection, especially before surgery, but its effect in decreasing fistula formation, although appreciable, was not statistically significant.
Conclusion The local application of mercurochrome after a soap/water scrub for at least 48 h before surgery is a simple, economic and effective means to decrease postoperative wound infection. Future studies are needed, keeping other determinants of fistula formation constant, to evaluate its role in decreasing fistula formation in patients undergoing hypospadias repair.
5 citations
TL;DR: A study of the increased rate of the elimination of HgCl2 by Bacillus pasteurii strain DR2 from natural river water in the presence of organic compounds finds this bacteria has the dual characteristics of elimination of mercury compounds and utilization of aromatic compounds in natural conditions.
Abstract: Mercury (Hg) compounds are extensively used in agriculture as seed-dressers and pesiticides, in hospitals as disinfectants, in sewage treatment and in industries including pulp and paper and chlor-alkali industries as chemical catalysts. Several thousand millions of tons of mercury are dispersed into the environment every year. Rain water washes mercury from soils and rocks. In aquatic environments sediments are the richest deposits of mercury compounds. The mutagenicity and teratogenicity of these Hg-containing compounds are well-documented. This paper reports on a study of the increased rate of the elimination of HgCl2 by Bacillus pasteurii strain DR2 from natural river water in the presence of organic compounds. This bacteria has the dual characteristics of elimination of mercury compounds and utilization of aromatic compounds in natural conditions. 19 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.
3 citations
TL;DR: A broad spectrum mercury-resistant bacterial strain was isolated from contaminated water and was identified as Bacillus pasteurii strain DR2 as mentioned in this paper, which could volatilize Hg-compounds including organomercurials from its growth media.
Abstract: A broad-spectrum mercury-resistant bacterial strain was isolated from contaminated water and was identified as Bacillus pasteurii strain DR2. It could volatilize Hg-compounds including organomercurials from its growth media. It utilized several aromatic compounds as a sole source of carbon. The bacterial strain eliminated HgCl2 from sterile river water and the presence of benzene, toluene, naphthalene and nitrobenzene at 1 mM concentration in the system increased the rate of mercury volatilization, the volatilization rate being highest with benzene. When 1.7×107 cells of this bacterial strain were added per ml of non-sterile water the bacterial strain volatilized more than 90 percent of mercury from mercuric chloride and organo-mercurials like PMA, thiomersol and methoxy ethyl mercuric chloride (MEMC). In the absence of this bacterial strain the volatilization of PMA and MEMC due to the presence of other Hg-resistant organisms in nonsterile polluted water ranged between 20–25 percent and of HgCl2 was about 40 percent. However, in the presence of B. pasteurii DR2 volatilization of these Hg-compounds from non-sterile water increased by 20–40 percent. In the presence of 1 mM benzene the rate of mercury volatilization was even higher. In all the cases the rate of volatilization was higher in the first seven days than in the next seven days.
Cites background from "Bacterial degradation and utilizati..."
...This strain can also degrade and utilize fluorescein, mercuric acetate and merbromine ( Pahan et al., 1992 )....
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References
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TL;DR: A strain of Escherichia coli carrying genes determining mercury resistance on a naturally occurring resistance transfer factor (RTF) converts 95% of 10(-5)m Hg(2+) (chloride) to metallic mercury at a rate of 4 to 5 nmoles of Hg (2+) per min per 10(8) cells.
Abstract: A strain of Escherichia coli carrying genes determining mercury resistance on a naturally occurring resistance transfer factor (RTF) converts 95% of 10−5m Hg2+ (chloride) to metallic mercury at a rate of 4 to 5 nmoles of Hg2+ per min per 108 cells. The metallic mercury is rapidly eliminated from the culture medium as mercury vapor. The volatilizing activity has a temperature dependence and heat sensitivity characteristic of enzymatic catalysis and is inducible by mercuric chloride. Ag+ and Au3+ are markedly inhibitory of mercury volatilization.
195 citations
TL;DR: The structural basis for induction of the mercury resistance operon with inorganic mercury and with the organomercurial compound phenylmercuric acetate was addressed by DNA sequencing analysis and by lac fusion transcription experiments regulated by merR in trans from broad-spectrum-resistance plasmid pDU1358.
Abstract: The structural basis for induction of the mercury resistance operon with inorganic mercury and with the organomercurial compound phenylmercuric acetate was addressed by DNA sequencing analysis and by lac fusion transcription experiments regulated by merR in trans from broad-spectrum-resistance plasmid pDU1358 (Hg2+ and phenylmercury responding). The lac fusion results were compared with those from a narrow-spectrum-resistance (Hg2+ responding but not phenylmercuric responding) operon and the pDU1358 merR deleted at the 3' end. The nucleotide sequence of the beginning region of the broad-spectrum mer operon of plasmid pDU1358 was determined, including that of the merR gene, the operator-promoter region, the merT and merP genes, and the first 60% of the merA gene. Comparison of this sequence with DNA sequences of narrow-spectrum mer operons from transposon Tn501 and plasmid R100 showed that a major difference occurred in the 3' 29 base pairs of the merR gene, resulting in unrelated C-terminal 10 amino acids. A hybrid mer operon consisting of the merR gene from pDU1358, a hybrid merA gene (determining mercuric reductase enzyme), and lacking the merB gene (determining phenylmercury lyase activity) was inducible by both phenylmercury and inorganic Hg2+. This shows that organomercurial lyase is not needed for induction by organomercurial compounds. A mutant form of pDU1358 merR missing the C-terminal 17 amino acids responded to inorganic Hg2+ but not to phenylmercury. Thus, the C-terminal region of the MerR protein of the pDU1358 mer operon is involved in the recognition of phenylmercury.
83 citations
TL;DR: The results presented suggest that plasmid pKG2 is responsible for the synthesis of enzymes involved in the degradation of phenanthrene and biphenyl.
Abstract: A Beijerinckia species, capable of oxidizing phenanthrene, biphenyl and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, was shown to contain two plasmids that were designated pKG1 and pKG2. The molecular masses of plasmids pKG1 and pKG2, as determined by electron microscopy, were approximately 147 × 106 and 20.8 × 106 daltons, respectively. Growth of the organism on benzoate led to the isolation of strains that had lost the ability to grow with phenanthrene and biphenyl. All of the Phn−,Bph− strains had also lost the smaller plasmid, pKG2. The results presented suggest that plasmid pKG2 is responsible for the synthesis of enzymes involved in the degradation of phenanthrene and biphenyl.
36 citations
TL;DR: The authors report on enzymatic volatilization of HgCl{sub 2} by fourteen Hg-resistant bacterial strains and studied thiol specificity of HG-reductases and organomercurial lyases isolated from the above bacterial species.
Abstract: Plasmid-determined mercuric and organomercurial resistance in microorganisms has been studied by several workers. Mercury reductase, catalyzing the reduction of mercury depends on sulfhydryl compounds. Organomercurial lyase that catalyzes the splitting of C-Hg linkages also needs thiol compounds for its activity. Until recently, no study has been reported on thiol specificity of these enzymes from various sources. In the present study, the authors report on enzymatic volatilization of HgCl{sub 2} by fourteen Hg-resistant bacterial strains. They have also studied thiol specificity of Hg-reductases and organomercurial lyases isolated from the above bacterial species. Hg-reductase is known to have FAD-moiety which stimulates enzyme activity whereas FMN and riboflavin are ineffective in this regard. The effect of flavins, namely FAD, FMN and riboflavin, on Hg-reductase and organomercurial lyase activity is also reported here.
14 citations
TL;DR: The author isolated a broad-spectrum Hg-resistant Bacillus pasteurii strain DR{sub 2} which could volatilize different mercury compounds and utilize various aromatic compounds as sole sources of carbon and preferentially utilized benzene in a medium containing both glucose and benzene.
Abstract: Aquatic ecosystems may receive aromatic compounds through various routes These compounds can cause cancerous diseases in aquatic animals and enhance mutagenicity of the sediments The persistence of aromatic compounds deposited in sediments is affected by microbial degradation Plasmid-determined mercuric and organomercurial resistance in microorganisms has also been studied by several workers Utilization of various aromatic compounds as sole sources of carbon by an Hg-resistant bacterial strain has not been reported The author isolated a broad-spectrum Hg-resistant Bacillus pasteurii strain DR{sub 2} which could volatilize different mercury compounds and utilize various aromatic compounds as sole sources of carbon This strain preferentially utilized benzene in a medium containing both glucose and benzene To their knowledge, until recently there has been no report on preferential utilization of other compounds, particularly an aromatic compound to glucose in a mixture
10 citations