Team:Groningen/Project/Accumulation

From 2009.igem.org

Introduction

Once heavy metals have entered the cell it is key to keep them there. As these metals are toxic to cell survival in critical amounts evolution has provided us with biological detoxicification proteins such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallothionein metallothioneins]. These proteins can aid us in our quest to accumulate a variaty of heavy metals as they bind to a wide range of metals including cadmium, zinc, mercury, copper, arsenic, silver, etc..

Metallothioneins

Metallothioneins are a class of low molecular-weight metal-binding proteins rich in cysteines residues. They are capable of binding a variety of heavy metals. And they have readily been used to create cell based systems for purification of contaminated water ^{[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9758654][http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18618649]}. In addition to their wide application possibilities they also have the capacity to carry multiple metal ions at one time, in contrast to some other metalloproteins that carry them one-on-one^{[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9579658]}. Many forms of metallothioneins are known and their affinity for different metals has been investigated on several occasions, such as for cadmium^{[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16890348]}, arsenic ^{[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16984198][http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15294789][http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18326684]}, mercury^{http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9758654 1[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9342882][http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17920767]}, nickel^{[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12727263]} or a combination of metals^{http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9579658 3[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18313216]}. Metal-protein complexes can be quantified using a fluorescent molecule^{[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19133293]}.

Alternatives

Inclusion bodies^{[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3297654]}
(Bacterio)Ferritins
Phytochelatins
[http://www.wiley.com/legacy/products/subject/reference/messerschmidt_toc.html A list of opportunities]

Inhibitory characteristics?

Requirements

Literature

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2. Yung-Fen et al.: [http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/full/282/23/16783?view=long&pmid=17439954 ArsD Residues Cys12, Cys13, and Cys18 Form an As(III)-binding Site Required for Arsenic Metallochaperone Activity], THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY (2007) VOL 282(23); 16783–16791
3. Yung-Fen et al.: [http://www.springerlink.com/content/684280r475276335/ ArsD: an As(III) metallochaperone for the ArsAB As(III)-translocating ATPase], Bioenerg Biomembr (2007) 39;453-458
4. Chen et al.: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9758654 Hg²⁺ removal by genetically engineered Escherichia coli in a hollow fiber bioreactor], Biotechnology progress (1998) 14(5);667-71
5. Brady et al.:[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18618649 The use of hollow fiber cross-flow microfiltration in bioaccumulation and continuous removal of heavy metals from solution by Saccharomyces cerevisiae], Biotechnology and bioengineering (1994) 44(11);1362-1366
6. Chang et al.:[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9579658 Cysteine contributions to metal binding preference for Zn/Cd in the b-domain of metallothionein], Protein Engineering 1998 11(1);41–46
7. Deng et al.:[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16890348 Cadmium removal from aqueous solution by gene-modified Escherichia coli JM109] Journal of hazardous materials (2007) 139(2);340-4
8. Ngu & Stillman: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16984198 Arsenic binding to human metallothionein], Journal of the American Chemical Society (2006) 128(38);12473-83.
9. Kostal et al.: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15294789 Enhanced Arsenic Accumulation in Engineered Bacterial Cells Expressing ArsR], Applied and environmental microbiology (2004) 70(8);4582–4587
10. Singh et al.: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18326684 Highly Selective and Rapid Arsenic Removal by Metabolically Engineered Escherichia coli Cells Expressing Fucus vesiculosus Metallothionein] Applied and environmental microbiology (2008) 74(9);2924-7
11. Chen & Wilson: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9342882 Genetic engineering of bacteria and their potential for Hg²⁺ bioremediation], Biodegradation (1997) 8(2);97-103
12. Deng et al.: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17920767 Continuous treatment process of mercury removal from aqueous solution by growing recombinant E. coli cells and modeling study], Journal of hazardous materials (2008) 153(1-2);487-92
13. Deng et al.: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12727263 Bioaccumulation of nickel from aqueous solutions by genetically engineered Escherichia coli], Water research (2003) 37(10);2505-11.
14. Kao et al.: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18313216 Biosorption of nickel, chromium and zinc by MerP-expressing recombinant Escherichia coli], Journal of hazardous materials (2008) 158(1);100-106
15. Cadosch et al.: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19133293 Uptake and intracellular distribution of various metal ions in human monocyte-derived dendritic cells detected by Newport Green DCF diacetate ester] Journal of Neuroscience Methods (2009) 178(1);182-187
16. Fowler: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3297654 Intracellular Compartmentation of Metals in Aquatic Organisms: Roles in Mechanisms of Cell injury], Environmental Health Perspectives (1987) 71;121-128