Mercury methylation genes in bacteria and archaea
AssigneeUT-Battelle, LLC
InventorsJerry M. Parks, Alexander Johs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Two genes required for this mercury methylation have been identified in bacteria and archaea. These genes are the hgcA gene and hgcB, a corrinoid protein that facilitates methyl group transfer to Hg, and a corrinoid protein-associated ferredoxin with two [4Fe-4S] binding motifs involved in generating cob(I)almin, respectively. The invention provides nucleic acid probes and primers for detecting methylmercury and or for assessing mercury methylation potential in environmental, clinical and other samples. The invention also provides antibodies against these proteins, antibodies against these proteins, methods of using the antibodies and methods of biocatalysis.
Claims18
1-6. (canceled)
One or more sets of forward and reverse PCR primers capable of amplifying from at least a 25 bp fragment to all of a microbial hgcA gene, a microbial hgcB gene or both, wherein gene includes upstream and downstream regions associated with expression of the hgcA or hgcB coding sequence.
9-21. (canceled)
A method to detect microorganisms capable of mercury methylation in a sample which comprises
- (a) preparing nucleic acids from a sample;
- and
- (b) detecting the presence of an hgcA gene, an hgcB gene or both in said sample by hybridization with one or more nucleic acid probes or primers specific for hgcA, hgcB or both.
A method to detect microorganisms capable of mercury methylation which comprises
- (a) preparing nucleic acids from a sample;
- and
- (b) sequencing said nucleic acid, in whole or in part, to detect the presence of an hgcA gene, an hgcB gene or both in said sample by (i), optionally, amplifying nucleic acid in said sample with one or more primers specific for hgcA, or hgcB or both, and (ii) sequencing said nucleic acid or amplified nucleic acid to identify the presence of hgcA, hgcB or both in said sample, wherein said sequencing can optionally include one or more primers to prime a sequencing reaction.
A screening kit for detecting microorganisms capable of methylating mercury which comprises
- (a) one or more hgcA- or hgcB-specific oligonucleotides, or both, (i) to amplify nucleic acid obtained from an environmental sample, (ii) to identify nucleic acid in said sample, or amplified from said sample, or (iii) to enable sequencing of the nucleic acid in said sample, or amplified from said sample,
- wherein said oligonucleotides are present in a format for screening said sample and determine the presence of hgcA or hgcB-containing nucleic acid in said sample either qualitatively or quantitatively;
- and
- (b) optionally, reagents for conducting said screening.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.