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BIOLUMINESCENT SENSORS FOR DETECTION OF BIOAVAILABLE HG(II) IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Citation:
Selifonova, O., R. Burlage, AND T. Barkay. BIOLUMINESCENT SENSORS FOR DETECTION OF BIOAVAILABLE HG(II) IN THE ENVIRONMENT. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-94/008.
Description:
Biosensors for the detection of pollutants in the environment can complement analytical methods by distinguishing bioavailable from inert unavailable forms of the contaminants. y using fusions of the well understood TN21 mercury resistance operon (mer) with promoterless luxCDABE from Vibrio fischeri, we have constructed and tested three biosensors to Hg(11). ioluminescence specified by pRB28, carrying merRo/pT; by pOS14, mediating active transport of HG(11); and by pOS14, containing an intact mer operon, was measured in rich and in minimal media. he highest sensitivities were achieved in minimal medium and were 1nM, 0.5 nM and 24 nM for pRB28, pOS14 and pOS15, respectively. he utility of the biosensors in natural waters was demonstrated with freshwater, rain, and estuarine samples supplemented with HG(11). mer-lux carried by pRB28 and pOS14 responded to HG(11) in mercury contaminated water samples collected from a freshwater pond. emi-quantitative analyses based on light emission in samples collected from the inlet (analytically determined total mercury - 20 nM) and outlet (total mercury - 7 nM) of the pond, showed bioavailable mercury at appropriate 20 and 1-2 nM, respectively. hus, the biosensors described here semi-quantitatively detect bioavailable inorganic mercury (at a nM to uM concentration range) in contaminated waters.