Accumulation and cellular distribution of uranium inThiobacillus ferrooxidans

✍ Scribed by Alan A. DiSpirito; Joseph W. Talnagi; Olli H. Tuovinen

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 397 KB
• Volume: 135
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0302-8933
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00413476

✦ Synopsis

The uptake and cellular distribution of UO22 + were investigated in washed cell suspensions of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. The uptake was dependent on external concentration of uranium (0.01 -10.0 mM) and was influenced by the pH of the reaction mixture, but not by 1 mM transition metals ions or by the previous growth history of the cells 9 Cells inactivated by either ultraviolet radiation or potassium cyanide accumulated about 40 % more uranium than did viable cells especially at a high, toxic UO22 § concentration. Most of the uranium was associated with the cell wall and membrane fractions and relatively little uranium was detected in the cytoplasmic, lipopolysaccaride and periplasmic space material fractions. Cells poisoned with potassium cyanide were found to have an 8 to 11-fold increase in the cytoplasmic concentration of uranium.