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Enhanced alternative oxidase and antioxidant enzymes under Cd2+ stress in Euglena

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Abstract

To identify some of the mechanisms involved in the high resistance to Cd2+ in the protist Euglena gracilis, we studied the effect of Cd2+ exposure on its energy and oxidative stress metabolism as well as on essential heavy metals homeostasis. In E. gracilis heterotrophic cells, as in other organisms, CdCl2 (50 μM) induced diminution in cell growth, severe oxidative stress accompanied by increased antioxidant enzyme activity and strong perturbation of the heavy metal homeostasis. However, Cd2+ exposure did not substantially modify the cellular respiratory rate or ATP intracellular level, although the activities of respiratory complexes III and IV were strongly decreased. In contrast, an enhanced capacity of the alternative oxidase (AOX) in both intact cells and isolated mitochondria was determined under Cd2+ stress; in fact, AOX activity accounted for 69-91% of total respiration. Western blotting also revealed an increased AOX content in mitochondria from Cd2+-exposed cells. Moreover, AOX was more resistant to Cd2+ inhibition than cytochrome c oxidase in mitochondria from control and Cd2+-exposed cells. Therefore, an enhanced AOX seems to be a relevant component of the resistance mechanism developed by E. gracilis against Cd2+-stress, in addition to the usual increased antioxidant enzyme activity, that enabled cells to maintain a relatively unaltered the energy status.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, 14080, México D.F., Mexico

    Norma A. Castro-Guerrero, José S. Rodríguez-Zavala, Alvaro Marín-Hernández & Sara Rodríguez-Enríquez

  2. Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, Departamento de Bioquímica, Juan Badiano No. 1, Col. Sección XVI, Tlalpan, México, 14080, Mexico

    Rafael Moreno-Sánchez

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  1. Norma A. Castro-Guerrero
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  2. José S. Rodríguez-Zavala
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  3. Alvaro Marín-Hernández
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  4. Sara Rodríguez-Enríquez
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  5. Rafael Moreno-Sánchez
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Correspondence to Rafael Moreno-Sánchez.

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Castro-Guerrero, N.A., Rodríguez-Zavala, J.S., Marín-Hernández, A. et al. Enhanced alternative oxidase and antioxidant enzymes under Cd2+ stress in Euglena . J Bioenerg Biomembr 40, 227–235 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10863-007-9098-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10863-007-9098-6

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