{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T17:17:29Z","timestamp":1790702249302,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"American Chemical Society (ACS)","issue":"24","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,11,14]],"date-time":"2017-11-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1510617600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":365,"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/page\/policy\/authorchoice_termsofuse.html"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100006206","name":"Biological and Environmental Research","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["NA"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NA"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100006206","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004543","name":"China Scholarship Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["NA"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NA"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004543","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,12,20]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Microbial conversion of inorganic mercury (IHg) to methylmercury (MeHg) is a significant environmental concern because of the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of toxic MeHg in the food web. Laboratory incubation studies have shown that, despite the presence of large quantities of IHg in cell cultures, MeHg biosynthesis often reaches a plateau or a maximum within hours or a day by an as yet unexplained mechanism. Here we report that mercuric Hg(II) can be taken up rapidly by cells of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132, but a large fraction of the Hg(II) is unavailable for methylation because of strong cellular sorption. Thiols, such as cysteine, glutathione, and penicillamine, added either simultaneously with Hg(II) or after cells have been exposed to Hg(II), effectively desorb or mobilize the bound Hg(II), leading to a substantial increase in MeHg production. The amount of thiol-desorbed Hg(II) is strongly correlated to the amount of MeHg produced (r = 0.98). However, cells do not preferentially take up Hg(II)\u2013thiol complexes, but Hg(II)\u2013ligand exchange between these complexes and the cell-associated proteins likely constrains Hg(II) uptake and methylation. We suggest that, aside from aqueous chemical speciation of Hg(II), binding and exchange of Hg(II) between cells and complexing ligands such as thiols and naturally dissolved organics in solution is an important controlling mechanism of Hg(II) bioavailability, which should be considered when predicting MeHg production in the environment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.6b04041","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,11,14]],"date-time":"2016-11-14T12:10:35Z","timestamp":1479125435000},"page":"13335-13341","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":99,"title":["Effects\nof Cellular Sorption on Mercury Bioavailability\nand Methylmercury Production by\n                    <i>Desulfovibrio desulfuricans<\/i>\n                    ND132"],"prefix":"10.1021","volume":"50","author":[{"given":"Yu-Rong","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Chinese Academy of Sciences , , ,","place":["Beijing, China, 100085"]},{"name":"Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , , ,","place":["Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States, 37831"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xia","family":"Lu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , , ,","place":["Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States, 37831"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Linduo","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , , ,","place":["Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States, 37831"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jing","family":"An","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , , ,","place":["Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States, 37831"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ji-Zheng","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chinese Academy of Sciences , , ,","place":["Beijing, China, 100085"]},{"name":"the University of Melbourne , , , ,","place":["Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3010"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4951-1931","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Eric M.","family":"Pierce","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , , ,","place":["Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States, 37831"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alexander","family":"Johs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , , ,","place":["Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States, 37831"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Baohua","family":"Gu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , , ,","place":["Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States, 37831"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"316","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,11,14]]},"reference":[{"issue":"5207","key":"2026090215500256700_cit1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"753","DOI":"10.1038\/223753a0","article-title":"Biological methylation\nof mercury in aquatic organisms","volume":"223","author":"Jensen","year":"1969","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"2026090215500256700_cit2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"407","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2014.03.001","article-title":"Rice methylmercury exposure and mitigation:\nA comprehensive review","volume":"133","author":"Rothenberg","year":"2014","journal-title":"Environ. Res."},{"issue":"6153","key":"2026090215500256700_cit3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1457","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1242838","article-title":"Global\nchange and mercury","volume":"341","author":"Krabbenhoft","year":"2013","journal-title":"Science"},{"issue":"6125","key":"2026090215500256700_cit4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1332","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1230667","article-title":"The genetic\nbasis for bacterial mercury\nmethylation","volume":"339","author":"Parks","year":"2013","journal-title":"Science"},{"issue":"20","key":"2026090215500256700_cit5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11810","DOI":"10.1021\/es403075t","article-title":"Mercury\nmethylation by novel microorganisms from new\nenvironments","volume":"47","author":"Gilmour","year":"2013","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"issue":"9","key":"2026090215500256700_cit6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3205","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.00217-15","article-title":"Site-directed\nmutagenesis of HgcA and HgcB reveals amino acid residues important\nfor mercury methylation","volume":"81","author":"Smith","year":"2015","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."},{"issue":"12","key":"2026090215500256700_cit7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3938","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.02993-10","article-title":"Sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio\ndesulfuricans ND132 as a model for understanding bacterial mercury\nmethylation","volume":"77","author":"Gilmour","year":"2011","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."},{"issue":"20","key":"2026090215500256700_cit8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7337","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.01792-12","article-title":"Detailed\nassessment of the kinetics of Hg-cell association, Hg methylation,\nand methylmercury degradation in several Desulfovibrio species","volume":"78","author":"Graham","year":"2012","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."},{"key":"2026090215500256700_cit9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.estlett.5b00068","article-title":"Cysteine inhibits mercury methylation\nby Geobacter Sulfurreducens PCA mutant","volume":"2","author":"Lin","year":"2015","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett."},{"issue":"5","key":"2026090215500256700_cit10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3007","DOI":"10.1021\/es405215v","article-title":"Effect\nof divalent Metals on Hg(II)\nuptake and methylation by bacteria","volume":"48","author":"Schaefer","year":"2014","journal-title":"Environ.\nSci. Technol."},{"issue":"10","key":"2026090215500256700_cit11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3540","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jproteome.6b00263","article-title":"Global proteome response\nto deletion of genes related to mercury methylation and dissimilatory\nmetal reduction reveals changes in respiratory metabolism in Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA","volume":"15","author":"Qian","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Proteome\nRes."},{"key":"2026090215500256700_cit12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"262","DOI":"10.1021\/bk-2003-0835.ch019","article-title":"Geochemical\nand biological controls over methylmercury production and degradation\nin aquatic ecosystems","volume":"835","author":"Benoit","year":"2003","journal-title":"Biogeochem. Environ.\nImp. Trace Elem"},{"issue":"6","key":"2026090215500256700_cit13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"951","DOI":"10.1021\/es9808200","article-title":"Sulfide controls\non\nmercury speciation and bioavailability to methylating bacteria in\nsediment pore waters","volume":"33","author":"Benoit","year":"1999","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"issue":"7","key":"2026090215500256700_cit14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2270","DOI":"10.1021\/es061724z","article-title":"Importance\nof dissolved neutral mercury sulfides for methyl mercury production\nin contaminated sediments","volume":"41","author":"Drott","year":"2007","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. 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Microbiol."},{"issue":"12","key":"2026090215500256700_cit16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2213","DOI":"10.1039\/C4MT00172A","article-title":"Hg(II)\nbacterial biouptake: the role\nof anthropogenic and biogenic ligands present in solution and spectroscopic\nevidence of ligand exchange reactions at the cell surface","volume":"6","author":"Thomas","year":"2014","journal-title":"Metallomics"},{"issue":"2","key":"2026090215500256700_cit17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1038\/ngeo412","article-title":"High methylation\nrates of mercury bound to cysteine\nby Geobacter sulfurreducens","volume":"2","author":"Schaefer","year":"2009","journal-title":"Nat. Geosci."},{"issue":"21","key":"2026090215500256700_cit18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8714","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1105781108","article-title":"Active\ntransport, substrate specificity, and methylation\nof Hg (II) in anaerobic bacteria","volume":"108","author":"Schaefer","year":"2011","journal-title":"Proc. Natl.\nAcad. Sci. U. S. A."},{"issue":"9","key":"2026090215500256700_cit19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0138333","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0138333","article-title":"The use\nof a mercury biosensor to\nevaluate the bioavailability of mercury-thiol complexes and mechanisms\nof mercury uptake in bacteria","volume":"10","author":"Ndu","year":"2015","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"9","key":"2026090215500256700_cit20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"751","DOI":"10.1038\/ngeo1894","article-title":"Oxidation and methylation\nof dissolved elemental mercury by anaerobic bacteria","volume":"6","author":"Hu","year":"2013","journal-title":"Nat. Geosci."},{"issue":"20","key":"2026090215500256700_cit21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11969","DOI":"10.1021\/es502537a","article-title":"Coupled mercury-cell\nsorption, reduction, and oxidation affecting methylmercury production\nby Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA","volume":"48","author":"Lin","year":"2014","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"issue":"12","key":"2026090215500256700_cit22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2491","DOI":"10.1021\/es001813q","article-title":"A quantitative\nrelationship that remonstrates mercury methylation rates in marine\nsediments are based on the community composition and activity of sulfate-reducing\nbacteria","volume":"35","author":"King","year":"2001","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. 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Technol.\nLett."},{"issue":"3","key":"2026090215500256700_cit26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tox.2007.02.016","article-title":"The\nrole of thiols, dithiols, nutritional factors and interacting ligands\nin the toxicology of mercury","volume":"234","author":"Rooney","year":"2007","journal-title":"Toxicology"},{"issue":"15","key":"2026090215500256700_cit27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8077","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.6b00854","article-title":"Fractionation\nof mercury stable isotopes during microbial methylmercury production\nby iron- and sulfate-reducing bacteria","volume":"50","author":"Janssen","year":"2016","journal-title":"Environ.\nSci. Technol."},{"issue":"15","key":"2026090215500256700_cit28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4875","DOI":"10.1128\/JB.186.15.4875-4884.2004","article-title":"Three different\nsystems participate in L-cystine uptake in Bacillus subtilis","volume":"186","author":"Burguiere","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Bacteriol."},{"issue":"4","key":"2026090215500256700_cit29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"944","DOI":"10.1128\/JB.01058-10","article-title":"A Novel cdsAB Operon\nIs Involved in the Uptake of L-Cysteine\nand Participates in the Pathogenesis of Yersinia ruckeri","volume":"193","author":"Mendez","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Bacteriol."},{"issue":"4751","key":"2026090215500256700_cit30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"746","DOI":"10.1126\/science.232.4751.746","article-title":"Inorganic and organic\nsulfur cycling in salt-marsh pore waters","volume":"232","author":"Luther","year":"1986","journal-title":"Science"},{"issue":"10","key":"2026090215500256700_cit31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1902","DOI":"10.1021\/es000073i","article-title":"Thiols in coastal waters of the western North Sea and\nEnglish Channel","volume":"35","author":"Al-Farawati","year":"2001","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"issue":"13","key":"2026090215500256700_cit32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7709","DOI":"10.1021\/es505952x","article-title":"Relationship\nbetween extracellular\nlow-molecular-weight thiols and mercury species in natural lake periphytic\nbiofilms","volume":"49","author":"Leclerc","year":"2015","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"issue":"6","key":"2026090215500256700_cit33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2276","DOI":"10.4319\/lo.2004.49.6.2276","article-title":"Thiols in wetland interstitial\nwaters and their role in mercury and methylmercury speciation","volume":"49","author":"Zhang","year":"2004","journal-title":"Limnol. Oceanogr."},{"issue":"4","key":"2026090215500256700_cit34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1479","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1008747108","article-title":"Mercury reduction and\ncomplexation by natural organic matter in anoxic\nenvironments","volume":"108","author":"Gu","year":"2011","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A."},{"issue":"8","key":"2026090215500256700_cit35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3576","DOI":"10.1021\/es104207g","article-title":"Binding constants of\nmercury and dissolved organic matter determined by a modified ion\nexchange technique","volume":"45","author":"Dong","year":"2011","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."}],"container-title":["Environmental Science &amp; Technology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1021\/acs.est.6b04041","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"unspecified"},{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/esthag\/article-pdf\/50\/24\/13335\/66993325\/acs.est.6b04041.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/esthag\/article-pdf\/50\/24\/13335\/66993325\/acs.est.6b04041.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T19:50:09Z","timestamp":1788378609000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/esthag\/article\/50\/24\/13335\/781201\/Effects-of-Cellular-Sorption-on-Mercury"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2016,11,14]]},"references-count":35,"journal-issue":{"issue":"24","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,11,14]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,12,20]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.est.6b04041","relation":{},"ISSN":["0013-936X","1520-5851"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0013-936X","type":"print"},{"value":"1520-5851","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2016,11,14]]}}}