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Identification of the zinc, copper and cadmium metalloproteome of the protozoon Tetrahymena thermophila by systematic bioinformatics

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Abstract

Tetrahymena thermophila (T. thermophila) is a ciliated protozoon that can detect freshwater pollution by heavy metals (“whole-cell biosensor”). This work employed a systematic bioinformatics approach to predict and analyze the metalloproteome of T. thermophila for the essential Zn, Cu and the non-essential Cd. 3784 metal-binding proteins were identified compared to the 456 annotated so far in UniProt. The localization, functional classification, and the functionally enriched network of the newly identified metalloproteome are presented. Cd toxicity could be explained in terms of the metal replacing Cu and especially Zn in MAPKs, transporters and antioxidant enzymes. The predicted results for Cd toxicity and responses reflect those observed experimentally in different organisms after their exposure to Cd.

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Abbreviations

GO:

Gene ontology

HMM:

Hidden markov model

MAPK:

Mitogen-activated protein kinases

MBP:

Metal-binding pattern

MT:

Metallothionein

RDGB:

Retrieval of domains and genome browsing

SCO:

Synthesis of cytochrome c oxidase

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

WCB:

Whole-cell biosensor

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences (ICE-HT), Foundation for Research and Technology, Hellas (FORTH), Stadiou St., Platani, 26504, Patras, Greece

    Christos T. Chasapis

  2. Magnetic Resonance Center (CERM) Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

    Claudia Andreini

  3. Hellenic Open University, 26335, Patras, Greece

    Athanasia K. Georgiopolou

  4. Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, School of Medicine University of Athens Goudi, 11527, Athens, Greece

    Maria E. Stefanidou

  5. Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Rion, 26504, Greece

    Alexios Vlamis-Gardikas

Authors
  1. Christos T. Chasapis
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  2. Claudia Andreini
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  3. Athanasia K. Georgiopolou
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  4. Maria E. Stefanidou
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  5. Alexios Vlamis-Gardikas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christos T. Chasapis.

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Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.

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Chasapis, C.T., Andreini, C., Georgiopolou, A.K. et al. Identification of the zinc, copper and cadmium metalloproteome of the protozoon Tetrahymena thermophila by systematic bioinformatics. Arch Microbiol 199, 1141–1149 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-017-1385-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-017-1385-y

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