Genome Property Definition Page

AccessionGenProp0151
Nameresistance to mercury
TypeSYSTEM
DescriptionDetoxification of inorganic and organic mercury compounds involves the enzymatic reduction of extracellular mercuric ions or organomercurials into less-toxic metallic mercury, where it is released into the cytoplasm and volatiles from the cell. Mercuric ions diffuse across the outer membrane by a mer transport system, which binds and transfers mercury ions via a pair of cysteine residues to the active site of a mercuric reductase. Alternatively, an organomercurial lyase is required for hydrolysis of the carbon-mercury bond of organomercurial compounds before reduction proceeds. Transcribed separately and divergently, a mercury-sensitive transcriptional activator both positively and negatively regulates mer expression, while a co-transcribed secondary regulatory protein down-regulates this mer operon. This resistance system, often encoded on plasmids and transferred via transposons, is found in both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria [1].
JCVI RoleDetoxification
Parent PropertyGenProp0303: detoxification
Literature References
[ 1 ]Nascimento AM, Chartone-Souza E.  Operon mer: bacterial resistance to mercury and potential for bioremediation of contaminated environments.  Genet Mol Res. 2003 Mar 31;2(1):92-101.  PMID 12917805
Gene Ontology TermGO:0015694: mercury ion transport (biological_process)
GO:0046413: organomercury catabolic process (biological_process)
GO:0046689: response to mercury ion (biological_process)
GO:0046689: response to mercury ion (biological_process)
GO:0046689: response to mercury ion (biological_process)
GO:0050787: detoxification of mercury ion (biological_process)

Components
Step NameStep NumRequiredEvidence (Method)Evidence Go Terms
mercuric reductaseMerAYESTIGR02053 (HMM): mercury(II) reductaseGO:0050787: detoxification of mercury ion
organomercurial lyaseMerBNOPF03243 (HMM): alkylmercury lyaseGO:0046689: response to mercury ion
GO:0046413: organomercury catabolic process
mercury transporter, MerCMerCYESPF03203 (HMM): MerC mercury resistance proteinGO:0046689: response to mercury ion
GO:0015694: mercury ion transport
transcriptional co-regulator, MerDMerDYESTIGR02054 (HMM): mercuric resistence transcriptional repressor protein MerDGO:0046689: response to mercury ion
periplasmic mercury binding protein, MerPMerPYESTIGR02052 (HMM): mercuric transport protein periplasmic componentGO:0050787: detoxification of mercury ion
mercury responsive transcriptional activatorMerRYESTIGR02051 (HMM): Hg(II)-responsive transcriptional regulatorGO:0046689: response to mercury ion
mercury transporter, MerTMerTYESPF02411 (HMM): MerT mercuric transport proteinGO:0046689: response to mercury ion
GO:0015694: mercury ion transport

Parent Properties
AccessionName
GenProp0303detoxification


Sibling Properties
AccessionName
GenProp0213Resistance to Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)
GenProp0474arsenical resistance system
GenProp0488superoxide dismutase, nickel-type
GenProp0562formaldehyde detoxification, glutathione-dependent
GenProp0673ribulose monophosphate pathway
GenProp0676alkylhydroperoxide reductase AhpCF (peroxiredoxin)
GenProp0744glyoxalase pathway, glutathione dependent