Publication details
Electrochemical Study of Heavy Metals and Metallothionein in Yeast Yarrowia lipolytica
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2003 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Bioelectrochemistry |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Electrochemistry |
| Keywords | Yeast Yarrowia lipolytica; Differential Pulse Voltammetry; Adsorptive Transfer Stripping Technique; Constant Current Chronopotentiometric Stripping Analysis. Metallothionein; Cadmium; nickel; cobalt and zinc; Bioaccumulation |
| Description | The bioaccumulation of heavy metals (cadmium, nickel, cobalt and zinc) and the effect of these metals on the production of metallothionein and metallothionein-like proteins (MT) in Yarrowia lipolytica was studied by electrochemical methods. The concentrations of heavy metals were determined by the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). A combination of the constant current chronopotentiometric stripping analysis (CPSA) and adsorptive transfer stripping technique (AdTS) was used to determine the content of MT in cells. Both the bioaccumulation of heavy metals and the production of MT in different cell compartments of Yarrowia lipolytica exposed to heavy metals were monitored. The LD50 of each metal was determined from the number of viable cells in yeast cultures. The highest concentrations of heavy metals were found in the cell wall and membrane debris while the lowest concentrations were detected in cytoplasm. Cadmium and nickel showed the most significant effect on the production of MT. This study provides new insights into the ecophysiology of microorganisms and demonstrates the potential use of these electrochemical methods in the biotechnology. |
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