Impact of Hg (0) on Microbial functional diversity with their Enzyme Profile (MerA)

Mercury (Hg) is one of the most important toxic pollutants widespread in the environment. It is being extensively used in industrial applications (chlor-alkali electrolysis, fungicides, disinfectants, dental products, etc), resulting in local hot spots of pollution and serious effects on biota and humans. During study we investigated changes in the microbial and functional communities within mercury contaminated effluent sample. The composition and diversity of microbial communities and specic functional groups involved in key pathways in the geochemical cycling of Mercury were characterized using cultivation-dependent and Independent Approach. The most common bacterial mercury resistance mechanism is based on the reduction of Hg2+ to Hg0, which is dependent on the mercuric reductase enzyme (merA) activity. Seven Mercury resistant bacteria Isolated, out of them highest resistance 200ppm were given by SG-1 And SG-4 Isolates. It was found that strong correlation may be present between higher metal tolerance and Antibiotic resistance. During Enzyme activity study it was found that SG-1 gave maximum enzyme activity Rnaging between 65-80 unit/ml/mg. The metal uptake ability suggests possibility of using these bacterial strains for removal of mercury from Hg2+ contaminated Effluent.