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Updated: May 1, 2026

An Anaerobic Biosensor Assay for the Detection of Mercury and Cadmium
Published on: December 17, 2018
Bacterial metal resistance genes and metal bioavailability in contaminated sediments
Stéphanie Roosa1, Ruddy Wattiez1, Emilie Prygiel2
1Proteomics and Microbiology Lab, Research Institute for Biosciences, Université de Mons, 20 place du Parc, Avenue du Champ de Mars 6, B-7000 Mons, Belgium.
Abstract:
In bacteria a metal may be defined as bioavailable if it crosses the cytoplasmic membrane to reach the cytoplasm. Once inside the cell, specific metal resistance systems may be triggered. In this research, specific metal resistance genes were used to estimate metal bioavailability in sediment microbial communities. Gene levels were measured by quantitative PCR and correlated to metals in sediments using five different protocols to estimate dissolved, particle-adsorbed and occluded metals. The best correlations were obtained with czcA (a Cd/Zn/Co efflux pump) and Cd/Zn adsorbed or occluded in particles. Only adsorbed Co was correlated to czcA levels. We concluded that the measurement of czcA gene levels by quantitative PCR is a promising tool which may complement the classical approaches used to estimate Cd/Zn/Co bioavailability in sediment compartments.
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