Oligomerization of the E. coli Mercury Transporter MerT in Non-Ionic Detergents

摘要: Bacteria are able to survive environments with high concentrations of toxic ionic mercury due their ability reduce it the less neutral species. In order soluble mercury, bacteria use a subtle mechanism that involves, at least, three proteins. periplasm, MerP traps and passes membrane transporter, MerT introduces cytoplasm, where reductase uses NADPH convert more volatile mercury. The initial trapping by its final reduction MerA well understood molecular level, however transport cytoplasm is not level. We have over expressed purified E. coli MerT, in milligram quantities identified dimeric oligomer state biochemical techniques: chemical cross-linking, size exclusion chromatography, analytical ultracentrifugation