Baker's yeast assay procedure for testing heavy metal toxicity

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01607468· OSTI ID:5213405

Bitton, G; Koopman, B; Wang, H D

Baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is microorganism which is commercially available and sold as packaged dry pellets in any food store at low cost. Studies have been undertaken on the effects of organic xenobiotics as well as heavy metals on yeast metabolism. This type of study has been generally useful in examining the mechanism(s) of chemical toxicity. However, a rapid and quantitative toxicity test using S. cerevisiae as the test organism has not been developed. The purpose of this study was to develop a toxicity assay for heavy metals, using commercial dry yeast as the test microorganism. This rapid and simple procedure is based on the reduction of 2-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyltetrazolium chloride (INT) to INT-formazan by the yeast electron transport system. The scoring of active cells following exposure to heavy metals was undertaken according to the MINT (malachite green-INT) method developed by Bitton and Koopman.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Florida, Gainesville
• OSTI ID: 5213405
• Journal Information: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Journal Name: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States) Vol. 32:1; ISSN BECTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560302* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Microorganisms-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AZOLES
BIOASSAY
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COPPER COMPOUNDS
FUNGI
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HISTOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
NICKEL COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
REDUCTION
SACCHAROMYCES
SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE
SILVER COMPOUNDS
TETRAZOLES
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
YEASTS
ZINC COMPOUNDS