The effects of increasing concentrations of Zn(II) and Cd(II) on the expression of the four isometallothioneins (isoMTs), namely MT-1a, MT-2a, MT-2d and MT-2e, in rabbit kidney cells (RK-13) and the development of cellular tolerance to these metal ions were studied. The results showed that, whereas in parental cells MT concentration was low and composed nearly exclusively of MT-2a and MT-1a, al...

Investigation of heavy metal tolerance genes in green algae is of great importance because heavy metals have become one of the major contaminants in the aquatic ecosystem. In plants, accumulation of heavy metals modifies many aspects of cellular functions. However, the mechanism by which heavy metals exert detrimental effects is poorly understood. In this study, we identified a role for HO-1 (e...

Optimum concentrations of heavy metals like copper, cadmium, lead, chromium, and zinc in soil are essential in carrying out various cellular activities in minimum concentrations and hence help in sustaining all life forms, although higher concentration of these metals is lethal to most of the life forms. Galerina vittiformis, a macrofungus, was found to accumulate these heavy metals into its fl...

Heavy metals such as Cu and Zn are essential for normal plant growth, although elevated concentrations of both essential and non-essential metals can result in growth inhibition and toxicity symptoms. Plants possess a range of potential cellular mechanisms that may be involved in the detoxification of heavy metals and thus tolerance to metal stress. These include roles for the following: for my...

We demonstrate solar-blind photodetectors (PDs) by employing AlN thin films on Si(100) substrates with excellent temperature tolerance and radiation hardness. Even at a bias higher than 200 V the AlN PDs on Si show a dark current as low as ~ 1 nA. The working temperature is up to 300°C and the radiation tolerance is up to 10(13) cm(-2) of 2-MeV proton fluences for AlN metal-semiconductor-metal ...

Phytochelatins, a class of posttranslationally synthesized peptides, play a pivotal role in heavy metal, primarily Cd2+, tolerance in plants and fungi by chelating these substances and decreasing their free concentrations. Derived from glutathione and related thiols by the action of gamma-glutamylcysteine dipeptidyl transpeptidases (phytochelatin synthases; EC 2.3.2.15), phytochelatins consist ...

Dense (>98 th%) and homogeneous ceramic/metal composites were obtained by spark plasma sintering (SPS) using ZrO2 and lamellar metallic powders of tantalum or niobium (20 vol.%) as starting materials. The present study has demonstrated the unique and unpredicted simultaneous enhancement in toughness and strength with very high flaw tolerance of zirconia/Ta composites. In addition to their excel...

Cadmium is a potent inhibitor of hepatic microsomal drug biotransformation in the rat. Male rats receiving a single intraperitoneal dose of cadmium exhibit significant decreases in hepatic microsomal metabolism of a variety of substrates. The threshold cadmium dose is 0.84 mg Cd/kg, and the effect lasts at least 28 days. Mechanistically, the inhibitory effect results from decreased cytochrome P...

Characterization of genomic variation among different microbial species, or different strains of the same species, is a field of significant interest with a wide range of potential applications. We have investigated the genomic variation in mycorrhizal fungal genomes through genomic suppressive subtractive hybridization. The comparison was between phylogenetically distant and close truffle spec...

With the intension to screen heavy metal tolerance and antibiotic susceptibility, a bacterium was isolated and characterized from municipal solid waste dumping yard (Dhapa), Kolkata, India. On the basis of biochemical and 16S rDNA sequence profile, it was identified as Bacillus cereus. Tolerance was observed against heavy metals like Cd, Co, Ni, Cr, Pb , Hg by this bacterium and was found that ...