Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Characterization of Arsenic Biotransformation by a Typical Bryophyte Physcomitrella patens

  • Published:
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Arsenic (As) is a ubiquitous environmental toxin that has created catastrophic human health and environmental problems around world. Physcomitrella patens is a potential model plant for the study of environmental monitoring, which exists in all kinds of ecosystems. In this study, arsenic metabolism was investigated by this moss. When supplied with different levels of arsenate (50, 100, 200 µmol/L) for a 4-week period, the total arsenic concentrations were up to 231.4–565.4 mg/kg DW in this moss. Arsenite concentration increased with increasing external arsenate concentrations, the proportion was up to 25.1–36.8% of the total As. An arsenate reductase, PpACR2, was identified and functionally characterized. Heterologous expression of PpACR2 in an As(V)-sensitive strain WC3110 (ΔarsC) of Escherichia coli conferred As(V) resistance. Purified PpACR2 protein exhibited the arsenate reductase activity. Given its powerful As accumulation ability, the bryophyte could be exploited in bioremediation of As-contaminated environments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Basilea A, Sorbob S, Contea B, Goliaa B, Montanaric S, Cobianchia RC, Espositoc S (2011) Antioxidant activity in extracts from Leptodictyum riparium (Bryophyta), stressed by heavy metals, heat shock, and salinity. Plant Biosyst 145:77–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharjee H, Rosen BP (2007) Arsenic metabolism in prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes, molecular microbiology of heavy metals. Microbiol Monogr 6:371–406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danielle RE, Luke G, Emily I, Ingrid JP, Joan B, David ES (2006) Novel arsenate Reductase from the arsenic hyperaccumulating fern Pteris vittata. Plant Physiol 141:1544–1554

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dhankher OP, Rosen BP, McKinney EC, Meagher RB (2006) Hyperaccumulation of arsenic in the shoots of Arabidopsis silenced for arsenate reductase, ACR2. P Natl Acad Sci, USA 103:5413–5418

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duan GL, Zhou Y, Tong YP, Mukhopadhyay R, Rosen BP, Zhu YG (2007) A CDC25 homologue from rice functions as an arsenate reductase. New Phytol 174:311–321

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • González AG, Villacorta FG, Beike AK, Reski R, Adamo P, Pokrovsky OS (2016) Chemical and structural characterization of copper adsorbed on mosses (Bryophyta). J Hazard Mater 308:343–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johannes HC, Simone I, Nadejda AS, Heinjo JD (2007) Comparative cryptogam ecology: a review of bryophyte and lichen traits that drive biogeochemistry. Ann Bot-London 99:987–1001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koch IL, Wang CA, Cullen WR, Reimer KJ (2000) The predominance of inorganic arsenic species in plants from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Environ Sci Technol 34:22–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marco YJ, Ragueh F, Godiard L, Froissard D (1990) Transcriptional activation of 2 classes of genes during the hypersensitive reaction of tobacco leaves infiltrated with an incompatible isolate of the phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas solanacearum. Plant Mol Biol 15:145–154

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meliker JR, Wahl RL, Cameron LL, Nriagu JO (2007) Arsenic in drinking water and cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and kidney disease in Michigan: a standardized mortality ratio analysis. Environ Health 6:4–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mukhopadhyay R, Rosen BP (2001) The phosphatase C(X)5R motif is required for catalytic activity of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Acr2p arsenate reductase. J Biol Chem 276:34738–34742

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mukhopadhyay R, Rosen BP (2002) Arsenate reductases in prokaryotes and ukaryotes. Environ Health Persp 110:745–748

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mukhopadhyay R, Shi J, Rosen BP (2000) Purification and characterization of Acr2p, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae arsenate reductase. J Biol Chem 28:21149–21157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mukhopadhyay R, Rosen BP, Pung LT, Silver S (2002) Microbial arsenic: from geocycles to genes and enzymes. FEMS Microbiol Rev 26:311–325

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen-Viet H, Bernard N, Mitchell EAD, Cortet J, Badot PM, Gilbert D (2007a) Relationship between testate amoeba (Protist) communities and atmospheric heavy metals accumulated in Barbula indica (Bryophyta) in Vietnam. Microb Ecol 53:53–65

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen-Viet H, Gilbert D, Mitchell E, Badot PM, Bernard N (2007b) Effects of experimental lead pollution on the microbial communities associated with Sphagnum fallax (Bryophyta). Microb Ecol 2:232–241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potera C (2016) Arsenic and latent disease risk: what’s the mechanism of action? Environ Health Persp 124:A36

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosen BP (2002) Biochemistry of arsenic detoxification. FEBS Lett 529:86–92

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shi J, Vlamis G, Aslund F, Holmgren A, Rosen BP (1999) Reactivity of glutaredoxins 1, 2, and 3 from Escherichia coli shows that glutaredoxin 2 is the primary hydrogen donor to ArsC-catalyzed arsenate reduction. J Biol Chem 274:36039–36042

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smedley PL, Kinniburgh DG (2002) A review of the source, behaviour and distribution of arsenic in natural waters. Appl Geochem 17:517–568

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith AH, Lopipero PA, Bates MN, Steinmaus CM (2002) Public health-arsenic epidemiology and drinking water standards. Science 296:2145–2146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki Y, Takenaka C, Tomioka R, Tsubota H, Takasaki Y, Umemura T (2016) Accumulation of arsenic and copper by bryophytes growing in an aquatic environment near copper mine tailings. Mine Water Environ 35:265–272

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin XX, Wang LH, Duan GL, Guo XS (2011) Characterization of arsenate transformation and identification of arsenate reductase in a green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. J Environ Sci-China 7:1186–1193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou Y, Messier N, Ouellette M, Rosen BP, Mukhopadhyay R (2004) Leishmania major LmACR2 is a pentavalent antimony reductase that confers sensitivity to the drug Pentostam. J Biol Chem 279:37445–37451

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu YG, Sun GX, Lei M, Teng M, Liu YX, Chen NC, Wang LH, Williams PN (2008) High percentage inorganic arsenic content of mining impacted and nonimpacted Chinese rice. Environ Sci Technol 42:8008–8013

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (41671485 & 41201318), Doctor Foundation of Shandong (BS2013HZ009), Jinan Innovation Plan (201302123) and Key Research Program of Shandong (2015GSF120010).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jinan Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Jinan, 250014, China

    Xixiang Yin, Yifei Liu & Tenglong Jiang

  2. Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China

    Xixiang Yin

  3. Shandong Analysis and Test Center, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, 250014, China

    Lihong Wang

  4. Vegetable Research Institute of Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China

    Jianwei Gao

Authors
  1. Xixiang Yin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lihong Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yifei Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tenglong Jiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jianwei Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lihong Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yin, X., Wang, L., Liu, Y. et al. Characterization of Arsenic Biotransformation by a Typical Bryophyte Physcomitrella patens . Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 98, 251–256 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-016-1997-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-016-1997-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation