Electron microprobe and X-ray microfluorescence analyses of copper binding to active and inactivated cells of Mucor rouxii

Conference · Wed Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:585789

Cano-Aguilera, I; Gardea-Torresdey, J L; Pingitore, Jr, N E; Webb, R ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Texas, El Paso, TX (United States)

Electron microprobe and x-ray microfluorescence spectroscopies have been used to study copper binding to active and inactivated Mucor rouxii copper-sensitive and copper-tolerant cells. A better understanding of metal resistance may help in the application of fungal biomass for the treatment of metal-contaminated water, and also in enrichment or recycling of valuable metals. After repeated culturing in progressively higher concentrations of copper sulfate, a copper-tolerant Mucor rouxii strain was obtained. The copper-tolerant strain differed from the sensitive parental strain in both shape and size. Copper binding studies using a laboratory batch technique revealed that the copper-tolerant strain cultured at higher copper levels bound large amounts of this metal. Electron microprobe and x-ray microfluorescence analyses showed that the copper characteristic x-ray signal on the cell surface of the copper-tolerant strain after copper binding was higher than the copper signal in sensitive cells. The copper signal in cross sections of the copper-tolerant cells also showed a statistically significant correlation with the sulfur signal but no correlation with the phosphorus signal. These results suggest that there are several mechanisms for metal detoxification inside and outside of the Mucor rouxii cells and that copper may be binding to sulfur-containing groups.

• Sponsoring Organization: National Insts. of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 585789
• Report Number(s): CONF-9705104--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COPPER
ELECTRON MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
FUNGI
METABOLISM
TOLERANCE
X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS