Asian Journal of Bio Science

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Plasmid-Borne Mercury Resistance in Aquatic Escherichia coli


Affiliations
1 Gene Expression Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
2 Divison of Post Harvest Technology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar (J&K), India
3 S.M.V.D. University, Katra, Jammu (J&K), India
     

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Bacteria (E. coli) isolated from different aquatic bodies of India were analyzed for their tolerance to mercury (HgCl2 ). Out of the 30 isolates of E. coli, collected from water samples of four geographically distinct regions and hospital settings in India, 8 strains showed significantly high levels of tolerance to the inorganic form of mercury i.e mercury chloride (HgCl2). All the eight strains revealed the presence of a plasmid of approximately 24kb, and transformation of the isolated plasmids into the mercury-sensitive competent cells of E. coli DH5 rendered the transformants resistant to the same concentration of mercury as wild type-strains.

Keywords

Escherichia Coli, Mercury Resistance, Mercuric Reductase (merA) Gene.
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  • Plasmid-Borne Mercury Resistance in Aquatic Escherichia coli

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Authors

Tanveer A. Shah
Gene Expression Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
Imtiyaz Murtaza
Divison of Post Harvest Technology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar (J&K), India
V. Verma
S.M.V.D. University, Katra, Jammu (J&K), India
Arif Ali
Gene Expression Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

Abstract


Bacteria (E. coli) isolated from different aquatic bodies of India were analyzed for their tolerance to mercury (HgCl2 ). Out of the 30 isolates of E. coli, collected from water samples of four geographically distinct regions and hospital settings in India, 8 strains showed significantly high levels of tolerance to the inorganic form of mercury i.e mercury chloride (HgCl2). All the eight strains revealed the presence of a plasmid of approximately 24kb, and transformation of the isolated plasmids into the mercury-sensitive competent cells of E. coli DH5 rendered the transformants resistant to the same concentration of mercury as wild type-strains.

Keywords


Escherichia Coli, Mercury Resistance, Mercuric Reductase (merA) Gene.