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Molecular Microbiology of Heavy Metals pp 343–355Cite as

Microbiology of the Toxic Noble Metal Silver

Part of the Microbiology Monographs book series (MICROMONO,volume 6)

Abstract

One of the transition metals without a function in biological systems is silver. Silver interferes with the normal protein function of the organism and is extremely toxic because of its ability to bind to the metal binding sites in proteins. The use of silver as a biocide has long been known and today there is an increasing number of applications for silver, not only in hospitals but also in everyday life. In addition, silver resistant bacteria have been isolated from hospitals, silver mines, and silver-contaminated areas. There are different resistance mechanisms, as strains of Pseudomonas appear to precipitate silver to remove it from the medium. In contrast, silver resistance in Salmonella typhimurium is plasmid-encoded and based on silver binding and export. Genome sequencing projects increasingly reveal the presence of this sil determinant, indicating a more widespread occurrence than previously expected.

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  1. Biology Department, Skidmore College, 815 North Broadway, 12866, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA

    Sylvia Franke

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  1. Sylvia Franke
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Correspondence to Sylvia Franke .

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Dietrich H. Nies Simon Silver

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Franke, S. (2007). Microbiology of the Toxic Noble Metal Silver. In: Nies, D.H., Silver, S. (eds) Molecular Microbiology of Heavy Metals. Microbiology Monographs, vol 6. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/7171_2006_084

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