Generation of Mercury-Hyperaccumulating Plants through Transgenic Expression of the Bacterial Mercury Membrane Transport Protein MerC

Sasaki, Yoshito; Hayakawa, Tetsuo; Inoue, Chihiro; Miyazaki, Akira; Silver, Simón; Kusano, Tomonobu

doi:10.1007/s11248-006-9008-4

Cited by 61 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(38 reference statements)

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“…The observations reported in this communication suggest that plasmid transfer and controlled gene expression can render many bacteria (Schaefer et al, 2004) and plants (Sasaki et al, 2006) useful for bioremedial Hg 2+ detoxification. When mercury toxicity is problematic, as it is in many mining environments and their surroundings, transfer of a mercuric resistance plasmid to a naturally occurring, dominant, microbial population could render that bacterial population effective as an agent of bioremediation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…Equivalent plasmids have been isolated from several bacteria indicating frequent lateral transfer. Sasaki et al (2006) have recently transferred the merC gene of Acdithiobacillus ferrooxidans into Arabidopsis thaliana and tobacco plants, and demonstrated that the plants accumulate increased amounts of Hg 2+ . The potential of such transgenic plants for phytoremediation is noteworthy.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Mercury Transport in Bacteria

Yamaguchi

Tamang

Saier

2007

Water Air Soil Pollut

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Mercuric ions (Hg 2+ ) and methylmercury are major, human-generated, toxic contaminants present in fish and our waterways. Bacteria provide a means of bioremediation by taking up these compounds and reducing them to volatile, non-toxic, elemental mercury (Hg°). Three types of mercury/ methylmercury transporters have previously been identified: MerC, MerF and MerT. Each of these sets of homologues has distinct topologies. MerF proteins are characterized by a 2-transmembrane !-helical segment (TMS) topology; most MerTs have three TMSs, and MerCs have four TMSs. This report shows that MerT and MerF proteins are related by common descent and are similar in sequence throughout their first two TMSs. One of the MerF proteins is internally duplicated, generating a protein with four TMSs, while several MerT homologues bear a Cterminal extracytoplasmic Hg 2+ -binding MerP domain. MerPs are homologous to heavy metal-binding domains present in copper chaperone proteins, at the N-termini of mercuric reductases and in from one to six copies in heavy metal transporting P-type ATPases. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that mercuric ion transporters have been horizontally transferred with high frequency between bacteria. Some MerTs function with MerP receptors while others do not, and the MerP-dependent MerTs cluster separately from the MerP-independent MerTs on a phylogenetic tree. MerTs possessing a MerP appear to have co-evolved with their cognate receptors. Conserved sequence and motif analyses serve to define the mercuric transporter family fingerprints and allow prediction of specific subfunctions. This report provides the first detailed bioinformatic description of two apparently unrelated families of Hg 2+ uptake transporters. We propose that all members of these two families function by a simple channel-type mechanism to allow influx of Hg 2+ in response to the membrane potential in preparation for reduction and detoxification. This information should facilitate the exploitation of these transporters for purposes of microbial and phytobioremediation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mercury Transport in Bacteria

Yamaguchi

Tamang

Saier

2007

Water Air Soil Pollut

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“…Arazi et al [ 29 ] reported that the overexpression of a plasma membrane protein (NtCBP4) in transgenic tobacco plants increased Pb accumulation, but also significantly enhanced the plant’s sensitivity to the metal. By the same token, the expression of the MerC gene in Arabidopsis and tobacco increased Hg accumulation 2-fold in relation to wild type plants, but rendered the transgenic plants hypersensitive to Hg [ 30 ].…”

Section: Genetically Engineered Phytoremediationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genome Editing Weds CRISPR: What Is in It for Phytoremediation?

Basharat

Novo

Yasmin

2018

Plants

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The arrival of sequence-specific endonucleases that allow genome editing has shaken the pillars of basic and applied plant biology. Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is a revolutionary genome-engineering tool that enables the enhancement of targeted traits in plants. Numerous plants, including energy crops, known for their potential to tolerate, immobilize, and stabilize inorganic and organic pollutants, have already been edited using different CRISPR systems. Moreover, a large array of genes responsible for increased metal tolerance, metal uptake and hyperaccumulation have already been identified. Thus, the CRISPR-mediated genome reprogramming of plants, including its use in gene expression regulation through transcriptional repression or activation (CRISPRi and CRISPRa), could be of paramount importance for phytoremediation. The simplicity, inexpensiveness, and capabilities of this gene editing technique could soon be used to enhance plants and bacteria involved in phytotechnologies, such as phystabilization, phytoextraction, phytomining, phytovolatilization, and bio-energy generation. In this brief viewpoint piece, we posit some of the potential benefits of CRISPR for phytoremediation.

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“…Twice as much mercury was extracted by Arabidopsis thaliana and tobacco plants when they were modified with the merC gene (Sasaki et al 2006). At the end of extraction/accumulation, the plants will have to be disposed of appropriately by drying, incinerating, gasifying, pyrolysis, acid extraction, anaerobic digestion, or extracting the oil and chlorophyll fibers (Mulligan et al 2001a).…”

Section: Other Promising Technologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

In situ remediation technologies for mercury-contaminated soil

Gao

Pierce

et al. 2015

Environ Sci Pollut Res

116

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Mercury from anthropogenic activities is a pollutant that poses significant risks to humans and the environment. In soils, mercury remediation can be technically challenging and costly, depending on the subsurface mercury distribution, the types of mercury species, and the regulatory requirements. This paper introduces the chemistry of mercury and its implications for in situ mercury remediation, which is followed by a detailed discussion of several in situ Hg remediation technologies in terms of applicability, cost, advantages, and disadvantages. The effect of Hg speciation on remediation performance, as well as Hg transformation during different remediation processes, was detailed. Thermal desorption, electrokinetic, and soil flushing/washing treatments are removal technologies that mobilize and capture insoluble Hg species, while containment, solidification/stabilization, and vitrification immobilize Hg by converting it to less soluble forms. Two emerging technologies, phytoremediation and nanotechnology, are also discussed in this review.

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Generation of Mercury-Hyperaccumulating Plants through Transgenic Expression of the Bacterial Mercury Membrane Transport Protein MerC

Cited by 61 publications

References 38 publications

Mercury Transport in Bacteria

Mercury Transport in Bacteria

Genome Editing Weds CRISPR: What Is in It for Phytoremediation?

In situ remediation technologies for mercury-contaminated soil

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