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Publication
Metals in Cyanobacteria: analysis of the copper, nickel, cobalt and arsenic homeostasis mechanisms
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Traces of metal are required for fundamental biochemical processes, such as
photosynthesis and respiration. Cyanobacteria metal homeostasis acquires an important role
because the photosynthetic machinery imposes a high demand for metals, making them a
limiting factor for cyanobacteria, especially in the open oceans. On the other hand, in the
last two centuries, the metal concentrations in marine environments and lake sediments have
increased as a result of several industrial activities. In all cases, cells have to tightly regulate
uptake to maintain their intracellular concentrations below toxic levels. Mechanisms to
obtain metal under limiting conditions and to protect cells from an excess of metals are
present in cyanobacteria. Understanding metal homeostasis in cyanobacteria and the proteins
involved will help to evaluate the use of these microorganisms in metal bioremediation.
Furthermore, it will also help to understand how metal availability impacts primary
production in the oceans. In this review, we will focus on copper, nickel, cobalt and arsenic
(a toxic metalloid) metabolism, which has been mainly analyzed in model cyanobacterium
Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.
Description
Keywords
Metal homeostasis Copper Nickel Cobalt Arsenic Metal transport
Citation
Life 4 (4): 865-886 (2014)
