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The MerE protein encoded by transposon Tn 21 is a broad mercury transporter in Escherichia coli
Author(s) -
Kiyono Masako,
Sone Yuka,
Nakamura Ryosuke,
Pan-Hou Hidemitsu,
Sakabe Kou
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2009.02.039
Subject(s) - plasmid , transposable element , escherichia coli , gene , biology , mercury (programming language) , shigella flexneri , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , pseudomonas , enterobacteriaceae , chemistry , genetics , genome , computer science , programming language
In order to clarify the physiological role of the merE gene of transposon Tn 21 , a pE4 plasmid that contained the merR gene of plasmid pMR26 from Pseudomonas strain K‐62, and the merE gene of Tn 21 from the Shigella flexneri plasmid NR1 (R100) was constructed. Bacteria with plasmid pE4 ( merR ‐o/p‐ merE ) were more hypersensitive to CH 3 Hg(I) and Hg(II), and took up significantly more CH 3 Hg(I) and Hg(II), than the isogenic strain. The MerE protein encoded by pE4 was localized in the membrane cell fraction, but not in the soluble fraction. Based on these experimental results, we suggest for the first time that the merE gene is a broad mercury transporter mediating the transport of both CH 3 Hg(I) and Hg(II) across the bacterial membrane.