无机砷在植物体内的吸收和代谢机制

砷污染已成为全球非常突出且急需解决的环境问题,严重威胁人类健康和环境安全.在自然环境和土壤系统中,砷的存在形态相当复杂,但植物砷毒害主要源于As（V）和As（Ⅲ）暴露.As（V）通过Pi的吸收通道被植物根系吸收,并在还原酶（AR）作用下被快速还原为As（Ⅲ）.As（Ⅲ）通过NIP蛋白通道进入植物体内,在砷甲基转移酶(ArsM)的作用下转化为甲基化砷或与谷胱甘肽（GSH）、植物螯合肽（PC）等多肽的巯基螯合封存在根部液泡或转运到地上部分,从而起到砷解毒的作用.同时,植物吸收的一部分砷也可外排到外部介质.本文以农作物尤其是水稻为主线,详述了As（V）和As（Ⅲ）吸收、外排及As（V）还原、As（Ⅲ）甲基化、螯合作用的最新研究进展,并提出了今后的研究重点.     

Toxicity of arsenic (III) and (V) on plant growth, element uptake, and total amylolytic activity of mesquite (Prosopis juliflora x P. velutina)

The effects of arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] on the growth of roots, stems, and leaves and the uptake of arsenic (As), micro- and macronutrients, and total amylolytic activity were investigated to elucidate the phytotoxicity of As to the mesquite plant (Prosopis juliflora x P. velutina). The plant growth was evaluated by measuring the root and shoot length, and the element uptake was determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The root and leaf elongation decreased significantly with increasing As(III) and As(V) concentrations; whereas, stem elongation remained unchanged. The As uptake increased with increasing As(III) or As(V) concentrations in the medium. Plants treated with 50 mg/L As(III) accumulated up to 920 mg/kg dry weight (d wt) in roots and 522 mg/kg d wt in leaves, while plants exposed to 50 mg/L As(V) accumulated 1980 and 210 mg/kg d wt in roots and leaves, respectively. Increasing the As(V) concentration up to 20 mg/L resulted in a decrease in the total amylolytic activity. On the contrary, total amylolytic activity in As(III)-treated plants increased with increasing As concentration up to 20 mg/L. The macro- and micronutrient concentrations changed in As-treated plants. In shoots, Mo and K were reduced but Ca was increased, while in roots Fe and Ca were increased but K was reduced. These changes reduced the size of the plants, mainly in the As(III)-treated plants; however, there were no visible sign of As toxicity.     

The Use of Probabilistic Analysis to Improve Decision-Making in Environmental Regulation in a Developing Context: The Case of Arsenic Regulation in Chile

Using probabilistic analysis may be very useful for risk management in developing countries, where information, resources, and technical expertise are often scarce. Currently, most regulatory agencies recommend using deterministic approaches for the analysis of problems relating to decision-making. However, this approach does not incorporate uncertainty in the variables, nor the propagation of uncertainty through the different processes in which they are involved. The complexity of the problem is therefore arbitrarily reduced, and valuable information that could be useful for proposing realistic policies is not considered. This article compares the results of a deterministic analysis with those of a probabilistic one for regulating arsenic in Chile, and differences are established for public policy as a result of building uncertainty into the analysis. It is concluded that the use of a deterministic approach can lead to higher risks than necessary and that probabilistic results can help the regulator negotiate stricter standards. Alternatively, the regulator may end up imposing much higher costs to sources than originally expected as these will be forced to use expensive technology to comply consistently with a given standard.     

Apoptosis in arsenic trioxide-treated Calu-6 lung cells is correlated with the depletion of GSH levels rather than the changes of ROS levels

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) can regulate many biological functions such as apoptosis and differentiation in various cells. We investigated an involvement of ROS such as H(2)O(2) and O(2)(*-), and GSH in ATO-treated Calu-6 cell death. The levels of intracellular H(2)O(2) were decreased in ATO-treated Calu-6 cells at 72 h. However, the levels of O(2)(*-) were significantly increased. ATO reduced the intracellular GSH content. Many of the cells having depleted GSH contents were dead, as evidenced by the propidium iodine staining. The activity of CuZn-SOD was strongly down-regulated by ATO at 72 h while the activity of Mn-SOD was weakly up-regulated. The activity of catalase was decreased by ATO. ROS scavengers, Tiron and Trimetazidine did not reduce levels of apoptosis and intracellular O(2)(*-) in ATO-treated Calu-6 cells. Tempol showing a decrease in intracellular O(2)(*-) levels reduced the loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)). Treatment with NAC showing the recovery of GSH depletion and the decreased effect on O(2)(*-) levels in ATO-treated cells significantly inhibited apoptosis. In addition, BSO significantly increased the depletion of GSH content and apoptosis in ATO-treated cells. Treatment with SOD and catalase significantly reduced the levels of O(2)(*-) levels in ATO-treated cells, but did not inhibit apoptosis along with non-effect on the recovery of GSH depletion. Taken together, our results suggest that ATO induces apoptosis in Calu-6 cells via the depletion of the intracellular GSH contents rather than the changes of ROS levels.     

EXAFS study on arsenic species and transformation in arsenic hyperaccumulator

As a cost-effective, efficient and environmental friendly method for the remediation of contaminated soils and waters, phytoremediation of arsenic-con- taminated soils has drawn more and more attention[1]. The plants with the special ability to accumulate arse-nic (hyperaccumulators) are a prerequisite for phy-toremediation. Cretan brake (Pteris cretica L. var nervosa Thunb) has been shown to accumulate arsenic as much as 694 mg/kg in pinna in field investigation[2], and such elevated arsenic…     

Estimation of Dietary Intake of Inorganic Arsenic in U.S. Children

Arsenic is a natural component of the environment and is ubiquitous in soils, water, and the diet. Because dietary intake can be a significant source of background exposure to inorganic arsenic (the most toxicologically significant form), accurate intake estimates are needed to provide a context for risk management of arsenic exposure. Intake of inorganic arsenic by adults is fairly well characterized, but previous estimates of childhood intake were based on inorganic arsenic analyses in a limited number of foods (13 food types). This article estimates dietary intake for U.S. children (1 to 6 years of age) based on reported inorganic arsenic concentrations in 38 foods and in water used in cooking those foods (inorganic arsenic concentration of 0.8 μg/L), and U.S. Department of Agriculture food consumption data. This information is combined using a probabilistic software model to extract food consumption patterns and compute exposure distributions. The mean childhood dietary intake estimate for inorganic arsenic was 3.2 μg/day with a range of 1.6 to 6.2 μg/day for the 10th and 95th percentiles, respectively. For both the mean and 95th percentile inorganic arsenic intake rates, intake was predominantly contributed by grain and grain products, fruits and fruit juices, rice and rice products, and milk.     

好氧反硝化菌脱氮特性研究进展

好氧反硝化菌的发现,是对传统反硝化理论的丰富与突破. 由于其在脱氮方面的独特优势,已成为目前废水生物脱氮领域研究的热点. 好氧反硝化菌能够在有氧条件下,利用有机碳源生长的同时将含氮化合物反硝化生成N2等气态氮化物,多数还能同时进行异养硝化作用,将铵态氮直接转化为含氮气体. 本文从电子理论、反硝化酶系等方面对目前已分离出的一些好氧反硝化菌的脱氮特性及其脱氮机理进行探讨,分析了溶解氧、碳源类型及C/N等环境条件对其脱氮作用的影响,介绍了好氧反硝化菌的筛选方法及应用现状,对其应用前景和发展方向进行了展望.     

好气条件下不同形态外源砷在土壤中的转化

在35%的田间持水量下,通过模拟试验研究了外源二甲基砷酸盐（DMA）、一甲基砷酸盐（MMA）、五价无机砷［As(V)］在土壤中的形态转化.结果表明: 外源砷进入土壤后,其含量均有随时间推延而逐渐下降的趋势,两种不同形态的有机砷DMA和MMA在土壤中主要发生脱甲基化过程,经150 d的恒温恒湿培养,其在土壤中主要转化为As(V),DMA处理仅在120 d时检测到少量MMA,而MMA处理则在7～60 d内均有少量的DMA生成.培养结束时土壤中DMA和MMA含量均显著降低(P<0.01),降幅分别为99.5%、94.3%,而两者的主要转化产物As(V)的含量则分别显著增加了4.61和5.15倍.表明外源有机态砷在土壤中基本上被转化为无机形态;与有机态外源砷相比,外源As(V)进入土壤后其形态基本上没有发生转化.     

Mechanisms of arsenic trioxide induced apoptosis of human cervical cancer HeLa cells and protection by Bcl-2

It was recently reported that arsenic trioxide (As_2O_3) can induce complete remission in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). In this present article, the biological effect of As_2O_3 on human cervical cancer HeLa cells and HeLa cells overexpressing Bcl-2 is studied. By MTT and colony forming ability assays, morphology alteration, flow cytometric analysis, DNA gel electrephoresis and in situ cell death detection (TUNEL), it was found that As_2O_3 inhibited the growth of HeLa cells and induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis of the cells. RT-PCR, Northern blot, Western blot analysis revealed that As_2O_3 induced HeLa cell apoptosis possibly via decreasing the expression of c-myc and viral genes. HeLa cells overexpressing Bcl-2 partly resist As_2O_3 induced apoptosis, which might be relative to preventing the cells from As_2O_3 caused G2/M block, downregulation of c-myc gene expression and inhibition of viral gene expression was also noted, However, it was found that As_2O_3 at a high concentratio     

Direct evidence showing the effect of root surface iron plaque on arsenite and arsenate uptake into rice (Oryza sativa) roots

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of root surface iron plaque on the uptake kinetics of arsenite and arsenate by excised roots of rice (Oryza sativa) seedlings. The results demonstrated that the presence of iron plaque enhanced arsenite and decreased arsenate uptake. Arsenite and arsenate uptake kinetics were adequately fitted by the Michaelis-Menten function in the absence of plaque, but produced poor fits to this function in the presence of plaque. Phosphate in the uptake solution did not have a significant effect on arsenite uptake irrespective of the presence of iron plaque; however phosphate had a significant effect on arsenate uptake. Without iron plaque, phosphate inhibited arsenate uptake. The presence of iron plaque diminished the effect of phosphate on arsenate uptake, possibly through a combined effect of arsenate desorption from iron plaque.