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Different physiological responses to chromate and dichromate in the chromium resistant and reducing strain Ochrobactrum tritici 5bvl1

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Abstract

Studies of Cr(VI) toxicity are generally performed using chromate salts in solution, both when studying the effects on prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Some studies on human carcinogenesis and toxicology on bacteria were done using dichromate, but comparison with chromate was never reported before, and dichromate existence was never taken into consideration and usually overlooked. This paper studied comparatively the effect of dichromate and chromate on the physiology of Ochrobactrum tritici strain 5bvl1, a highly Cr(VI)-resistant and reducing microorganism. This study demonstrated that the addition of chromate or dichromate sodium salts to growth medium at neutral pH ended-up in two different solutions with a different balance of chemical species. Cr(VI) was toxic to O. tritici strain 5bvl1, as clearly shown on growth, reduction, respiration, glucose accumulation assays and by comparing cell morphology. Moreover, the addition of sodium dichromate was always more toxic to cells when compared to chromate and achieved a higher inhibition of every parameter studied. The toxicity differences between the two Cr(VI) oxyanions indicate the possibility of a different impact of Cr(VI) contamination on the environment. This may be of major importance, considering the slight acidity of most of the arable lands which favours the presence of dichromate, the more toxic species.

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Acknowledgments

This research was founded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, under PPCDT/AMB/60909/2006 project. Romeu Francisco was supported by PhD grants from FCT. We would also like to thank professor Alexandre Lobo da Cunha, of Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar.of Porto, Portugal, for his help in the preparation of cell samples for electron microscopy. TMAFM was performed at University of Barcelona, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Spain, by professor Virtudes Moreno.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IMAR-CMA, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal

    Romeu Francisco & Paula Vasconcelos Morais

  2. Department of Zoology, FCTUC, University of Coimbra, 3001-401, Coimbra, Portugal

    António Moreno

  3. Department of Biochemistry, FCTUC, University of Coimbra, 3001-401, Coimbra, Portugal

    Paula Vasconcelos Morais

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  1. Romeu Francisco
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  2. António Moreno
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  3. Paula Vasconcelos Morais
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Correspondence to Paula Vasconcelos Morais.

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Francisco, R., Moreno, A. & Morais, P.V. Different physiological responses to chromate and dichromate in the chromium resistant and reducing strain Ochrobactrum tritici 5bvl1. Biometals 23, 713–725 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-010-9338-9

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