Expanded Diversity and Phylogeny of mer Genes Broadens Mercury Resistance Paradigms and Reveals an Origin for MerA Among Thermophilic Archaea

Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic element due to its high affinity for protein sulfhydryl groups, which upon binding, can destabilize protein structure and decrease enzyme activity. Prokaryotes have evolved enzymatic mechanisms to detoxify inorganic Hg and organic Hg (e.g., MeHg) through the activities...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Christos A. Christakis, Tamar Barkay, Eric S. Boyd
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Microbiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.682605/full