Reduction of mercury to the elemental state by a yeast.

A yeast of the genus Cryptococcus has been isolated from a stream and was shown to be capable of reducing mercury to the elemental state. The organism grows in Wickerham broth supplemented with high concentrations of mercury (II) chloride (180 mg of mercury per liter) and will metabolize [(14)C]glucose in this medium as do cells in the absence of mercury. Mercury was associated with the cell wall and membrane, and in vacuoles within the cytoplasm.