This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Barkay, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Barkay, T. Agricola Articles by Barkay, T.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987 December; 53(12): 2725-2732
Copyright © 1987, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Adaptation of Aquatic Microbial Communities to Hg²⁺ Stress

Microbial Ecology and Biotechnology Branch, Environmental Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561

ABSTRACT

The mechanism of adaptation to Hg²⁺ in four aquatic habitats was studied by correlating microbially mediated Hg²⁺ volatilization with the adaptive state of the exposed communities. Community diversity, heterotrophic activity, and Hg²⁺ resistance measurements indicated that adaptation of all four communities was stimulated by preexposure to Hg²⁺. In saline water communities, adaptation was associated with rapid volatilization after an initial lag period. This mechanism, however, did not promote adaptation in a freshwater sample, in which Hg²⁺ was volatilized slowly, regardless of the resistance level of the microbial community. Distribution of the mer operon among representative colonies of the communities was not related to adaptation to Hg²⁺. Thus, although volatilization enabled some microbial communities to sustain their functions in Hg²⁺-stressed environments, it was not mediated by the genes that serve as a model system in molecular studies of bacterial resistance to mercurials.

Contribution no. 608 of the U.S. Environmental Research Laboratory, Gulf Breeze, Florida.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Gillan, D. C., Danis, B., Pernet, P., Joly, G., Dubois, P. (2005). Structure of Sediment-Associated Microbial Communities along a Heavy-Metal Contamination Gradient in the Marine Environment. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 679-690 [Abstract] [Full Text]