Molecularbiological study on a novel organomercurial decomposing enzyme from iron-oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and use of the enzyme for bioremediation of mercury

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It has been known that iron-oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans has a mercuric reductase (MerA) which reduces Hg^<2+> to a volatilizable metal mercury (Hg^0), but not has a mercuric lyase (MerB) which cleaves a C-Hg bond in organomercurials. Author newly found a novel Hg^0 volatilizing enzyme system in a highly mercury resistant A. ferrooxidans MON-1. Namely, strain MON-1 has a mercury resistant aa3-type cytochrome c oxidase ( aa_3) and α- and β-subunits in aa_3 has activities to cleave C-Hg bond in organomercurials and to reduce Hg^<2+> to Hg^0.