Using extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)-producing cyanobacteria for the bioremediation of heavy metals: do cations compete for the EPS functional groups and also accumulate inside the cell?

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2011

Authors

Sara Pereira (Author) Other; Ernesto Micheletti (Author) Other; Andrea Zille (Author) Other; Arlete Santos (Author) FCUP; Pedro Moradas Ferreira (Author) ICBAS; Paula Tamagnini (Author) FCUP; Roberto De Philippis (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Microbiology

Vol. 157

Pages: 451-458

ISSN: 1350-0872

Publisher: Microbiological Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 105 Citations

Scopus - 125 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Biological sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-VP6

DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.041038-0

Abstract (EN): Many cyanobacteria produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) mainly of polysaccharidic nature. These EPS can remain associated to the cell surface as sheaths, capsules and/or slimes, or be liberated into the surrounding environment as released polysaccharides (RPS). The ability of EPS-producing cyanobacteria to remove heavy metals from aqueous solutions has been widely reported in the literature, focusing mainly on the biotechnological potential. However, the knowledge of the effects of the metals in the cell's survival/growth is still scarce, particularly when they are simultaneously exposed to more than one metal. This work evaluated the effects of different concentrations of Cu2+ and/or Pb2+ in the growth/survival of Gloeothece sp. PCC 6909 and its sheathless mutant Gloeothece sp. CCY 9612. The results obtained clearly showed that both phenotypes are more severely affected by Cu2+ than Pb2+, and that the mutant is more sensitive to the former metal than the wild-type. Evident ultrastructural changes were also observed in the wild-type and mutant cells exposed to high levels (10 mg l(-1)) of Cu2+. Moreover, in bi-metal systems, Pb2+ was preferentially removed compared with Cu2+, being the RPS of the mutant that is the most efficient polysaccharide fraction in metal removal. In these systems, the simultaneous presence of Cu2+ and Pb2+ caused a mutual inhibition in the adsorption of each metal.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 8