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Papers |
First Author: |
Jun Ye |
Abstract: |
Arsenic (As) methylation in aquatic microbes plays a major role in the biogeochemistry of As. Proto-zoa, especially the free-living freshwater species, are important players in aquatic ecological health. In this study, an arsenite (As(III)) methyltransferase, TpyArsM, was identified and characterized in a free-living protozoan, Tetrahymena pyriformis. In order to confirm its function, TpyarsM gene was knocked-out in Tetrahymena and was also heterologously expressed in hypersensitive E.coli;these events resulted in expected decreases in As tolerance and methylation ability, respectively. In-vitro tests revealed that puri-fied TpyArsM protein methylated inorganic As to mono- and di- methylarsenate, and also had the novel property of producing trimethylarsenite (TMA(III)) and dimethylarsine (Me2AsH) gases. This new methyl-transferase gene, identified in a species near the base of the food web, has enriched our knowledge of As methyltransferases and has great potential for bioremediation of As-contaminated environments. |
Contact the author: |
Yong-Guan Zhu,Wei Miao |
Page Number: |
50–57 |
Issue: |
149 |
Subject: |
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Impact Factor: |
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Authors units: |
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PubYear: |
2014 |
Volume: |
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Publication Name: |
Aquatic Toxicology |
The full text link: |
www.elsevier.com/locate/aquatox |
ISSN: |
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