ABSTRACT
The marine diatom Skeletonema costatum was used to study mechanisms of detoxification when submitted to cadmium and copper contamination. After 96 h of growth, concentration corresponding to 50% growth inhibition (IC50, 96 h) was 0.224 mg/L for cadmium and 0.045 mg/L for copper, indicating that copper is more toxic for S. costatum than cadmium. Heavy cellular damages were observed for cadmium and copper concentrations close to the IC50. Exposure to these concentrations induced a migration of inclusions from the peripheral cytoplasm to the vacuole. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) investigations demonstrated that Cd and Cu were specifically trapped in these inclusions. However, Cu was less sequestered than cadmium in the vacuole. EELS determination of oxidation states evidenced that trace metals were sequestered as Cd2+ and Cu2+. Nitrogen and sulfur are involved in metallic storage, especially in the case of cadmium contamination.
Subject(s)
Cadmium/analysis , Copper/analysis , Diatoms/chemistry , Spectrophotometry, Atomic , Microscopy, ElectronABSTRACT
Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) was used to study the distribution of cadmium within the microalga Tetraselmis suecica when submitted to cadmium contamination. This analytical technique, which is associated to transmission electron microscopes, demonstrated that cadmium was stored specifically in the osmiophilic vesicles of T. suecica. The EELS study of the oxidation states revealed that cadmium was stored as Cd2+. In addition, the EELS quantification showed a significant relationship between cadmium, nitrogen, and sulfur concentrations. The toxic element is probably bounded to organic molecules via S-Cd bounds.
Subject(s)
Cadmium/metabolism , Chlorophyta/metabolism , Spectrophotometry, AtomicABSTRACT
Serologic evidence for the existence of beta 2-microglobulin-, (beta 2m) like and H-2-like antigenic determinants in Drosophila are presented. Drosophila-cultured cells and larvae extract were shown to react specifically with a rabbit anti-rat beta 2m and a rabbit anti-mouse beta 2m antisera. G-200 pooled fractions from Drosophila larvae were shown to react with beta 2m-eluted and glycin-absorbed antisera, but not with beta 2m-absorbed or glycin-eluted antisera. These fractions also quantitatively inhibited the heterologous reaction between the anti-beta 2m antisera and purified human and rat beta 2m. The lack of reactivity of other rabbit antisera or normal serum with Drosophila, as well as the efficiency of absorption of anti-beta 2m reactivity by either rat or KCO% (Drosophila) cells, further supports the presence of beta 2m epitopes on Drosophila cells. Data are also presented showing that certain anti-H-2 alloantisera react with Drosophila. That this reactivity is indeed due to anti-H-2 antibodies is suggested by several lines of evidence, including the removal of cytotoxic alloantibodies and lack of reactivity by other mouse antisera and monoclonal reagents. Preliminary data suggest that the H-2-like and beta 2m-like determinants are physically associated on the cell surface of Drosophila cells. These findings have important implications on current concepts concerning the evolutionary origin and physiologic role of beta 2m and the major histocompatibility complex.
