This book is the second volume of a two-volume set summarizing 40 years of key research
findings directly related to metal-resistant Cupriavidus Ralstonia (Betaproteobacteria). In
this second volume the structural and catalytic data from bacterial primary and secondary
transporters (P-ATPases tripartite chemiosmotic cation proton efflux systems cation diffusion
facilitators Major Facilitator Superfamily and some minor categories) are outlined and
detailed for the corresponding C. metallidurans proteins. The available three-dimensional
structures are reviewed in detail including RND and membrane fusion proteins (from tripartite
chemiosmotic cation proton efflux systems) sigma and anti-sigma regulatory proteins of the cnr
efflux system (resistance to cobalt and nickel) and various periplasmic proteins mainly
involved in the response to copper and mercury. In addition the first volume sketches the
historical and geographical context of these bacteria which are mostly found in industrial and
polluted environments linked to zinc and other non-ferrous metallurgy to illustrate the
interactions between bacteria and human activities and the possible evolutionary consequences
on bacterial genomes especially as far as the association of metal resistance genes with mobile
genetic elements is concerned. It provides a detailed description of the response and
underlying genetic determinants of type strain Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 to a variety of
metals. With high level resistance to cadmium chromate cobalt copper mercury nickel lead
and zinc mediated by well-known genes for detoxification carried by its megaplasmids pMOL28 and
pMOL30. This description is complemented with the genomic context of the metal response genes
in C. metallidurans CH34 with a focus on its mobilome including insertion sequence elements
transposons integrative and conjugative elements and genomic islands.
