Mercury-induced loss of K+ from yeast cells investigated by electron probe x-ray microanalysis.
According to Passow & Rothstein (1960), the mercury-induced loss of K+ from yeast cells is an all-or-none effect. This hypothesis was tested by analysing individual yeast cells by means of energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis. A dual effect of mercury was observed. The cell population was split into two parts: one part consisted of cells that had suffered a (nearly) complete loss of K+- the number of these cells increased with increasing concentrations of HgCl2; the other consisted of cells that had only lost part of their K+ content--these cells showed a normal distribution around a central value that decreased with increasing concentrations of HgCl2. Our analysis shows that the effect of mercury is more complex than originally suggested and that, in addition to an all-or-none effect, a gradual loss of K+ occurs.
D003300:Copper / Q000494:pharmacology; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D005033:Ethylmaleimide / Q000494:pharmacology; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D008628:Mercury / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012964:Sodium / Q000494:pharmacology
D003300:Copper; D012964:Sodium; D008628:Mercury; D008274:Magnesium; D005033:Ethylmaleimide; D011188:Potassium