hgcA/B基因介导的汞甲基化分子机制及其应用

Mechanism of hgcA/B Mediated Mercury Methylation and Application as Biomarkers

作为一种强神经毒性物质,环境中的甲基汞(MeHg)主要由产甲烷菌、硫酸盐还原菌、铁还原菌等厌氧微生物产生,可通过水生食物链积累并作用于人体。汞甲基化基因hgcA/B明确以后,不仅扩大了可探知的汞甲基化微生物范围,也为汞甲基化生物分子机制的探索提供了新的方向。本文1)概述了hgcA/B及其表达产物HgcA、HgcB的预测结构和生物体内的汞甲基化分子机制,2)讨论了基于hgcA/B的环境汞甲基化研究进展,3)总结了现有hgcA/B研究存在的不足,4)对汞甲基化基因领域的研究方向进行了展望。

As a potent neurotoxin,methylmercury(MeHg)in the environment is primarily synthesized by anaerobic microorganisms such as methanogens,sulfate-reducing bacteria,and iron-reducing bacteria,which can bioaccumulate through aquatic trophic levels and affect human health.The identification of mercury methylation gene pair,i.e.,hgcA and hgcB,not only broadens our understanding of potential mercury methylators but also opens up new avenues for investigating the molecular mechanism of biological mercury methylation.In this review,we outline the predicted structures of hgcA and hgcB genes and their expressed proteins HgcA and HgcB as well as their molecular role in mediating mercury methylation,discuss recent advances in environmental mercury methylation studies using hgcA and hgcB as biomarkers,summarize current limitations and challenges in hgcA and hgcB research,and prospect the research direction of mercury methylation gene field.