Team:UFAM Brazil/Modeling

The Hg²+ ions uptake and entrance from the cell exterior to the interior system and its subsequent reduction to Hg⁰ species is a complex process that has several steps for its realization. This procedure aims to transform the mercury ion in a volatile element (Hg⁰), able to passively diffuse through the membranes to the cell exterior.

According to Figure 1, the uptake and reduction system operates basically with merP, merT, merC, merF and merA proteins, being the first a periplasmic protein that binds to mercury ion for carrying to one of its transporters (merT, merC or merF), which are located in the inner membrane, and release Hg²+ inside the cells. Then, Hg²+ undergoes the merA enzyme action, which can reduce Hg²+ to Hg⁰, thereby enables its passive exist by membrane.