Scientists at the University of Michigan, with assistance from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), have marked progress in the fight against toxic mercury pollution by pinpointing a molecule that plays a pivotal role in the formation of methylmercury, a neurotoxin that poses a serious threat to human and environmental health. This breakthrough could pave the way for developing methods that prevent the compound from forming in the first place.
According to a press release from Oak Ridge National Laboratory , the molecule identified as S-adenosylmethionine acts as the methyl "donor" which transforms inorganic mercury into the more toxic methylmercury; this substance is particularly insidious because it not only is difficult to extract from aquatic ecosystems, but also because it easily makes its way up the food chain where it can lead to severe health consequences such as birth defects and neurological impairments for anyone who consumes contaminated fish or wildlife.
Researchers from the two institutions have already uncovered two genes back in 2013 that are necessary for the methylmercury production process, but the discovery of the methyl "donor," S-adenosylmethionine, is a key step toward the goal of mitigating the methylmercury risk. Alex Johs, a scientist at ORNL, indicates the findings provide "key insights into how bacteria produce methylmercury, as well as a protocol to study the proteins and mechanisms involved" in this transformation that if controlled or inhibited, could lead to substantial public health protections, as per the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Published outcomes from the study not only advance scientific understanding but also aid the development of a model detailing the proteins responsible for methylmercury's formation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory assistance in designing and conducting experiments, analyzing results were instrumental in pushing forward the body of knowledge surrounding the complex biochemical processes result in environmental pollutants with such widespread and detrimental impacts.
