Mercury Methylation Genes Identified across Diverse Anaerobic Microbial Guilds in a Eutrophic Sulfate-Enriched Lake.

ABSTRACT: Mercury (Hg) methylation is a microbially mediated process that converts inorganic Hg into bioaccumulative, neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg). The metabolic activity of methylating organisms is highly dependent on biogeochemical conditions, which subsequently influences MeHg production. However, our understanding of the ecophysiology of methylators in natural ecosystems is still limited. Here, we identified potential locations of MeHg production in the anoxic, sulfidic hypolimnion of a freshwater lake. At these sites, we used shotgun metagenomics to characterize microorganisms with the Hg-methylation gene hgcA. Putative methylators were dominated by hgcA sequences divergent from those in well-studied, confirmed methylators. Using genome-resolved metagenomics, we identified orga

SUBMITTER: Peterson BD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9741811 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature