Mechanism of Mercuric Chloride Resistance in Microorganisms: II. NADPH-Dependent Reduction of Mercuric Chloride and Vaporization of Mercury from Mercuric Chloride by a Multiple Drug Resistant Strain of Escherichia coli*
- 1 December 1971
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in The Journal of Biochemistry
- Vol. 70 (6) , 895-901
- https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jbchem.a129719
Abstract
The activity to vaporize a 203Hg compound from 203HgCl2 was demonstrated in crude cell-free extracts of a strain of Escherichia coli W2252, which had acquired the multiple drug resistance. NADPH was essential for the vaporization, while NADH had only a slight stimulating effect and NADP+ had no effect. The oxidation of NADPH dependent on HgCl2 was also demonstrated in the crude extracts, but the HgCl2-dependent NADH oxidation could be demonstrated only when a partially purified enzyme preparation was used. The rate of NADH oxidation was much slower than that of NADPH oxidation. It was concluded that NADPH, and to a lesser extent NADH, act as electron donors for the enzymatic reduction of HgCl2 and the vaporization occurs after this reduction. This reduction and subsequent vaporization seem to provide a mechanism of resistance to HgCl2 in E. coli strains having the multiple drug resistance.Keywords
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