Research Starter Grant: Survey of Metal Resistant Bacteria from a Mercury Contaminated Site

田纳西州橡树岭附近的东福克白杨溪是一条被早期核武器系统生产中的汞和其他重金属污染的河流。从附近被较高（96）或较低（2 ppm）汞污染的土壤中分离出了细菌。本项目的具体目标是通过16SrDNA基因测序来鉴定这些不同的分离株（一种有用的决定性标记），测量它们在有毒浓度的各种金属存在下生长的能力，并找出它们可能具有的任何金属抗性基因，这些基因与在高度金属抗性细菌中发现的基因相似，（嗜麦芽寡养单胞菌ORO 2）的特征。该项目还将为扬斯敦州立大学的本科生以及扬斯敦早期学院的高级高中生提供研究培训机会，附近的高中。 许多耐金属细菌通过沉淀或螯合溶解的金属来解毒。这些特性可用于清理金属污染的水或采矿。其他耐金属细菌合成蛋白质，当有毒金属进入细胞时将其泵出。其中一些蛋白质，如参与细菌耐铜性的蛋白质，与处理铜的人类蛋白质相似。研究细菌中的金属抗性蛋白可以深入了解一些疾病的原因，如门克斯病和威尔逊病，这些疾病是人类缺乏铜加工蛋白的结果。

East Fork Poplar Creek near Oakridge, TN is a stream that was contaminated with mercury and other heavy metals from early production of nuclear weapons systems. Bacteria have been isolated from nearby soils contaminated with either higher (96) or lower (2 ppm) amounts of mercury. The specific goals of this project are to identify these different isolates by sequencing their 16S rDNA genes (a useful and determinative marker), measure their ability to grow in the presence of toxic concentrations of various metals, and identify any metal resistance genes that they may have that are similar to those found in a highly metal resistant bacterium (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ORO2) that has been characterized previously from that area.This project will also involve research training opportunities for undergraduate students from Youngstown State University, as well as advanced high school students from the Youngstown Early College, a nearby high school. Many metal resistant bacteria detoxify their environment by precipitating or sequestering dissolved metals. These properties can be exploited for cleaning up metal contaminated water or for mining. Other metal resistant bacteria synthesize proteins that pump out toxic metals as they enter the cell. Some of these proteins, such as the ones involved in copper resistance in bacteria, are similar to the human proteins that process copper. Studying metal resistance proteins in bacteria may provide insights into the causes of some diseases, like Menkes and Wilson's disease, which are the result of deficient copper processing proteins in humans.