Copper influence on polyphosphate metabolism of Cunninghamella elegans

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the physiological aspects of polyphosphate metabolism of Cunninghamella elegans grown in presence of copper. The growth profile was obtained by means of biomass yields, orthophosphate consumption, polyphosphate accumulation and phosphatases activities. The results revealed the influence of copper on the growth, observed by biomass yields. Orthophosphate consumption was faster in cells grown in the presence of copper. The presence of copper in the culture medium induced polyphosphate accumulation. The polyphosphate level was almost constant in the beginning of control culture growth, and could be related to the exponential growth phase. On the other hand, the copper treated cultures exhibited a significant reduction in the polyphosphate levels, indicating an active metabolization of the polymer. Acid phosphatase activity was not detected in the conditions studied, but alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly lower in the treated cultures. The results suggest the potential use of Cunninghamella elegans isolate in bioremediation and biosorption applied to environments polluted by copper.

Biogeochemical spatio‐temporal transformation of copper in Aspergillus niger colonies grown on malachite with different inorganic nitrogen sources

“…nucleic acids, adenosine phosphates, polyphosphates) and precipitation of secondary metal phosphates originating from initial metal phosphates can also occur. Polyphosphates are linear polymer chains of orthophosphate residues linked by phosphoanyhydride bonds serving a wide range of functions including metal-phosphate precipitation which effectively sequester the toxic metal species preventing them from causing cellular damage (Orlovich and Ashford, 1993;B€ ucking and Heyser, 1999;Kornberg et al, 1999, de Souza et al, 2005Saito et al, 2005Saito et al, , 2006de Lima et al, 2013). Vacuolar polyphosphates can immobilize metals in ectomycorrhizal fungi (Bucking and Heyser, 1999).…”

Bioactive metabolites of Cunninghamella, Biodiversity to Biotechnology

“…Fungal biomasses have the advantages of being cheaper, easier in operation and insensitive to toxic pollutants [52]. Also, Cunninghamella elegans showed its ability to remove toxic metals, where it was able to grow in the presence of large amount of toxic copper [53]. Cunninghamella blakesleeana, Cunninghamella homothallica, and Cunninghamella elegans to show their ability to grow in the presence of different metals such as cadmium, cobalt, and chromium [54].…”

Composition of the culturable bacterial community associated with the water column and soft tissues from oysters of the mangrove ecosystem at Honda Swamp, Colombian Caribbean

“…Microorganisms represent a very important group in the estuarine biota, since both bacteria and fungi take part in basic processes as organic matter decomposition and remineralization of nutrients (Alongi, 1988). Bacteria constitute 91 % of the microorganisms from mangrove swamps and have very important functions, including the remotion of toxic H 2 S, by transforming it into elemental sulfur; 昀椀xing N 2 , which is one of the most relevant bacterial processes in mangroves, mainly in arid and semi-arid zones, decomposing rhizosphere, bark, and leaves; using the organic carbon dissolved from the sediments to prevent its export to adjacent systems like pelagic food chains or lagoon waters (Alongi and Boto, 1989), and participating in the absorption and retention of metals (Mendez et al, 2005). In fact, microorganisms from the rhizosphere of Laguncularia racemosa and Avicennia germinans have been reported to generate organic acids that participate in the ion absorption in the root, possibly contributing to the tolerance of potentially toxic elements (Vásquez et al, 2000), which has made them an important piece on bioremediation studies.…”