Table 2: Hydrothermal vent isolates, their Hg(II) resistance level and Hg(II) volatilization activity.

Optimum Growth Temperature Isolates Sample Site Genus of Closest Relative1 Growth in the presence of Hg(II)at Hg(II) concentrations (mM)2 of:   0.5251020304050 Sensitivity to Hg(II) (S/R)3 PCR Amplification with merA specific primers                                             760C control site Moritella +               S -         Psychrophiles 760D " Psychrobacter +               S -       4°C 761F " Photobacterium +               S -         762G " Shewanella +               S -                                           763D control site Psychrobacter + +             S -         EPR13 plume Rhizobium + +             S -         EPR11 vent Halomonas + + + + + +     R N. D.4     Control Site Mesophiles EPR1 plume Pseudoalteromonas + + + + + + +   R -     Plume 28°C EPR2 " Pseudoalteromonas + + + + + + +   R -     Vent   EPR3 " Pseudoalteromonas + + + + + + +   R Yes         EPR15 " Marinobacter + + + + + + +   R N. D.         EPR12 " Pseudomonas + + + + + + + + R Yes                                           EPR9 vent Bacillus + +             S -       Moderate EPR5 plume Alcanivorax + + +           S -       Thermophiles EPR6 vent Alcanivorax + + + + + + + + R Yes       45°C EPR7 " Alcanivorax + + + + + + + + R Yes         EPR8 " Alcanivorax + + + + + + + + R Yes         EPR10 plume Alcanivorax + + + + + + + + R Yes

1 The genus of the closest relative of each isolate was identified on the basis of their 16S rRNA genes (rDNA). 2 Cultures were grown on Aritificial Seawater (ASW) solid medium at different concentrations of Hg(II) (0 to 80.0 mM Hg(II)) and incubated at their optimum growth temperature. 3 S = Sensitive to Hg(II); R = Resistant to Hg(II). Strains were considered resistant if they grew on >5.0 mM Hg(II). 4 Not determined.

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