MERCURY-RESISTANT ACTINOMYCETES FROM THE CHESAPEAKE-BAY

Two actinomycete strains, CHR3 and CHR28, were isolated from metal-con taminated sediments from Baltimore Inner Harbor. The isolates were cla ssified as Streptomyces spp. Agar diffusion assays showed both isolate s to be resistant to mercuric chloride and phenylmercuric acetate. Hyb ridization experiments indicated that genes homologous to the mercuric reductase and organomercurial lyase of Streptomyces lividans 1326 wer e present in strains CHR3 and CHR28. Strain CHR28 grew at both low and high salt concentrations; however, strain CHR3 showed enhanced growth in the presence of salt, evidence of its habitat being marine or estu arine sediment. (C) 1998 Federation of European Microbiological Societ ies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.