Molecular mechanisms of resistance to heavy metals in the protist Euglena gracilis

Abstract

The biochemical mechanisms of resistance to several heavy metals, which are associated with their accumulation (binding by high-affinity chelating molecules such as thiol-compounds together with their compartmentalization into organelles), are analyzed for the photosynthetic, free-living protist Euglena gracilis. The complete understanding of these mechanisms may facilitate the rational design of strategies for bioremediation of heavy metal polluted water and soil systems.

Keywords:

• Heavy metal accumulation
• compartmentalization
• chloroplasts
• mitochondria
• glutathione
• phytochelatins

Acknowledgments

The present work was partially supported by grant No. 43811-Q from CONACyT-México.

Notes

^a Data compiled from the San Francisco, California bay area. Mean values for heavy metals are in mg metal/ Kg product or ppm.

^b Detergents included are powder and liquid products use in clothing and dishes washing.

^c Bleachers are powder and liquid products. In general, the laundry commercial powder products contain a higher amount of heavy metals than the liquid products.

^a CF refers to the metal content associated to the biomass/ metal concentration in the culture medium; mg metal (g dry weight)^{− 1}/mg metal (ml water)^{− 1}.