Distribution of mercury resistance determinants in bacterial communities of river sediments

Abstract River sediments were collected and analysed for mercury, methylmercury, cadmium, copper, chromium, nickel, lead and zinc. Total and volatile solids and sediment type were also determined. The occurrence of DNA sequences typical of transposons Tn21 and Tn501 were assessed using DNA probe technology on 100 isolates from each river site. All isolates were identified to genus level. The results indicated that genotypic variation was higher at sites with lower mercury concentrations than sites with elevated mercury concentrations. As the concentration of mercury increased at a given location Tn21-like became the predominant mercury resistance genotype elements. The results indicate that mercury resistance systems which are not homogeneous with the mer operon exist in the sediment environment. Those associated with the mer operon accounted for approx. 90% of the total phenotypic resistance displayed by the bacterial communities examined.

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