{"id":10988,"date":"2024-11-18T13:34:24","date_gmt":"2024-11-18T13:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=10988"},"modified":"2024-11-18T13:34:25","modified_gmt":"2024-11-18T13:34:25","slug":"groundbreaking-discovery-unveils-how-microbes-create-toxic-methylmercury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/groundbreaking-discovery-unveils-how-microbes-create-toxic-methylmercury\/","title":{"rendered":"Groundbreaking Discovery Unveils How Microbes Create Toxic Methylmercury"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">Researchers have identified a key molecule in the biological conversion of mercury to toxic methylmercury, a finding that could lead to innovative ways to mitigate mercury poisoning in the environment.<br><\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mercury is notoriously toxic, but it reaches its most dangerous form as methylmercury \u2014 a compound so harmful that mere billionths of a gram can cause severe neurological damage to a developing fetus. This dangerous compound often enters human bodies via seafood, creating a significant public health concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scientists at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) at the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have uncovered a critical aspect of this transformation. Utilizing high-energy X-rays, they have identified a molecule called S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) as a major player in the biological methylation of mercury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNobody knew how mercury is methylated biologically,\u201d co-author Riti Sarangi, a senior scientist in SSRL&#8217;s Structural Molecular Biology program, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www6.slac.stanford.edu\/news\/2024-11-15-how-microbes-create-most-toxic-form-mercury\" title=\"\">news release<\/a>. &#8220;We need to understand that fundamental process before we can develop an effective methylmercury remediation strategy. This study is a step toward that.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2408086121\" title=\"\">Published<\/a> in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study addresses a crucial gap in understanding how methylmercury is produced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Industrial emissions of mercury often end up in bodies of water, where microbes transform the metal into methylmercury. This compound then accumulates as it moves up the food chain, ultimately affecting human health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One major mystery for researchers has been the exact mechanism by which microorganisms convert mercury into its methylated form. The task is complicated by the fact that the responsible protein system, known as HgcAB, exists in minuscule quantities within microbes. It is also highly sensitive to light and oxygen, making it difficult to study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over a decade-long effort involving multiple national laboratories and universities, a team led by Steve Ragsdale, David Ballou Collegiate Professor and professor of biological chemistry at University of Michigan, developed a new protocol to produce stable amounts of HgcAB. This breakthrough enabled the team to delve deeper into understanding the protein&#8217;s function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve worked with a lot of very difficult proteins, but this one had everything you would not want to have in a protein if you wanted to purify it. It was very complicated,\u201d Ragsdale said in the news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once purified, the HgcAB samples, kept in liquid nitrogen and shielded from light, were analyzed at SSRL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Macon Abernathy, an associate scientist at SSRL, conducted extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy to examine the samples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSSRL&#8217;s X-ray spectroscopy facilities are especially equipped to study biological samples and have powerful detector systems that can resolve the extremely weak signals of ultra-dilute protein samples like these,\u201d Sarangi added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Previous theories suggested that the methyl group necessary for methylmercury came from methyltetrahydrofolate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, this study reveals that SAM is actually the methyl donor. This discovery narrows down the main actors in the methylation process, potentially aiding in the development of environmental remediation strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo one has tried it yet, but perhaps analogs of SAM could be developed that could address methylmercury in the environment,\u201d added Ragsdale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This study marks a significant leap toward understanding and potentially mitigating a hazardous environmental issue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mercury is notoriously toxic, but it reaches its most dangerous form as methylmercury \u2014 a compound so harmful that mere billionths of a gram can cause severe neurological damage to a developing fetus. This dangerous compound often enters human bodies via seafood, creating a significant public health concern. Scientists at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Mercury is notoriously toxic, but it reaches its most dangerous form as methylmercury \u2014 a compound so harmful that mere billionths of a gram can cause severe neurological damage to a developing fetus. This dangerous compound often enters human bodies via seafood, creating a significant public health concern. Scientists at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10988"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11024,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10988\/revisions\/11024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}