Open AccessMercury-resistant bacteria in Antarctic ecosystems
Author(s) -
I. B. Sioma,
Vira Hovorukha,
Oleksandr Tashyrev
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
faktori eksperimentalʹnoï evolûcìï organìzmìv
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2415-3826
pISSN - 2219-3782
DOI - 10.7124/feeo.v23.1045
Subject(s) - microorganism , mercury (programming language) , environmental chemistry , bacteria , ecosystem , chemistry , environmental science , ecology , biology , genetics , computer science , programming language
Aim. The research was focused on the assessment of the possible resistance of Antarctic microorganisms to mercury ions. Methods. Conventional microbiological methods of introducing of decimal dilutions to agar medium. Results. Microorganisms resistant to Hg2+ in high concentrations (up to 500 mg/l) were discovered among samples from Antarctica. The majority of Hg2+-resistant microorganisms was found in moss-lichen and soil ecosystems. The least of Hg2+-resistant microorganisms was found in organics-rich humus ecosystems. Conclusions. In Antarctic microbiocenoses were discovered for the first time microorganisms resistant to mercury in “bactericidal” concentrations in spite of absence of this element in the natural ecosystems. Apparently, the genome of these microorganisms contains genes that provide the mechanisms of microbial resistance to toxic mercury.
Keywords: mercury, metal resistance, Antarctic microorganisms.