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Review
. 2024 Feb 26;108(1):235.
doi: 10.1007/s00253-023-12967-6.

Recent advance of microbial mercury methylation in the environment

Xuya Peng  1 , Yan Yang  1 , Shu Yang  2   3 , Lei Li  1 , Liyan Song  4
Affiliations
Review

Recent advance of microbial mercury methylation in the environment

Xuya Peng et al. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. .

Abstract

Methylmercury formation is mainly driven by microbial-mediated process. The mechanism of microbial mercury methylation has become a crucial research topic for understanding methylation in the environment. Pioneering studies of microbial mercury methylation are focusing on functional strain isolation, microbial community composition characterization, and mechanism elucidation in various environments. Therefore, the functional genes of microbial mercury methylation, global isolations of Hg methylation strains, and their methylation potential were systematically analyzed, and methylators in typical environments were extensively reviewed. The main drivers (key physicochemical factors and microbiota) of microbial mercury methylation were summarized and discussed. Though significant progress on the mechanism of the Hg microbial methylation has been explored in recent decade, it is still limited in several aspects, including (1) molecular biology techniques for identifying methylators; (2) characterization methods for mercury methylation potential; and (3) complex environmental properties (environmental factors, complex communities, etc.). Accordingly, strategies for studying the Hg microbial methylation mechanism were proposed. These strategies include the following: (1) the development of new molecular biology methods to characterize methylation potential; (2) treating the environment as a micro-ecosystem and studying them from a holistic perspective to clearly understand mercury methylation; (3) a more reasonable and sensitive inhibition test needs to be considered. KEY POINTS: • Global Hg microbial methylation is phylogenetically and functionally discussed. • The main drivers of microbial methylation are compared in various condition. • Future study of Hg microbial methylation is proposed.

Keywords: Driving factors; Functional genes; Functional strains; Mercury methylation; Methylation mechanism; Methylation potential.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Expression mechanism (A) and diversity analysis (B, C) of gene hgcAB
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Classification and number of strains of SRBs, IRBs, methanogens, and other Hg-methylated microorganisms at phylum and family levels
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Hg-methylated microorganisms in the environments
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Driving factors of mercury methylation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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