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Production of phytochelatins and glutathione by marine phytoplankton in response to metal stress

Production of phytochelatins and glutathione by marine phytoplankton in response to metal stress
Production of phytochelatins and glutathione by marine phytoplankton in response to metal stress
Phytoplankton deal with metal toxicity using a variety of biochemical strategies. One of the strategies involves glutathione (GSH) and phytochelatins (PCs), which are metal-binding thiol peptides produced by eukaryotes and these compounds have been related to several intracellular functions, including metal detoxification, homeostasis, metal resistance and protection against oxidative stress. This paper assesses our state of knowledge on the production of PCs and GSH by marine phytoplankton in laboratory and field conditions and the possible applications of PCs for environmental purposes. Good relationships have been observed between metal exposure and PC production in phytoplankton in the laboratory with Cd, Pb, and Zn showing the greatest efficacy, thereby indicating that PCs have a potential for application as a biomarker. Fewer studies on PC distributions in particulate material have been undertaken in the field. These studies show that free Cu has a strong relationship with the levels of PC in the particulate material. The reason for this could be because Cu is a common contaminant in coastal waters. However it could also be due to the lack of measurements of other metals and their speciation. GSH shows a more complex relationship to metal levels both in the laboratory and in the field. This is most likely due to its multifunctionality. However, there is evidence that phytoplankton act as an important source of dissolved GSH in marine waters, which may form part of the strong organic ligands that control metal speciation, and hence metal toxicity.
1529-8817
975-989
Kawakami, S.K.
52f1c63b-4e7b-46aa-9f85-5cb0ee238766
Gledhill, M.
da795c1e-1489-4d40-9df1-fc6bde54382d
Achterberg, E.P.
685ce961-8c45-4503-9f03-50f6561202b9
Kawakami, S.K.
52f1c63b-4e7b-46aa-9f85-5cb0ee238766
Gledhill, M.
da795c1e-1489-4d40-9df1-fc6bde54382d
Achterberg, E.P.
685ce961-8c45-4503-9f03-50f6561202b9

Kawakami, S.K., Gledhill, M. and Achterberg, E.P. (2006) Production of phytochelatins and glutathione by marine phytoplankton in response to metal stress. Journal of Phycology, 42 (5), 975-989. (doi:10.1111/j.1529-8817.2006.00265.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Phytoplankton deal with metal toxicity using a variety of biochemical strategies. One of the strategies involves glutathione (GSH) and phytochelatins (PCs), which are metal-binding thiol peptides produced by eukaryotes and these compounds have been related to several intracellular functions, including metal detoxification, homeostasis, metal resistance and protection against oxidative stress. This paper assesses our state of knowledge on the production of PCs and GSH by marine phytoplankton in laboratory and field conditions and the possible applications of PCs for environmental purposes. Good relationships have been observed between metal exposure and PC production in phytoplankton in the laboratory with Cd, Pb, and Zn showing the greatest efficacy, thereby indicating that PCs have a potential for application as a biomarker. Fewer studies on PC distributions in particulate material have been undertaken in the field. These studies show that free Cu has a strong relationship with the levels of PC in the particulate material. The reason for this could be because Cu is a common contaminant in coastal waters. However it could also be due to the lack of measurements of other metals and their speciation. GSH shows a more complex relationship to metal levels both in the laboratory and in the field. This is most likely due to its multifunctionality. However, there is evidence that phytoplankton act as an important source of dissolved GSH in marine waters, which may form part of the strong organic ligands that control metal speciation, and hence metal toxicity.

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Published date: 2006

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 38072
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/38072
ISSN: 1529-8817
PURE UUID: 2b6d09f8-b224-49cb-be64-32b2c6d7cf01

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Date deposited: 01 Jun 2006
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 08:03

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Contributors

Author: S.K. Kawakami
Author: M. Gledhill
Author: E.P. Achterberg

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