title: Toxic effect of inorganic arsenite [As(III)] on metabolic activity of Bacillus subtilis by combined methods.
abstract: In this study, microcalorimetry and measurement of culture turbidity were applied to evaluate the As(III) toxic effect on the metabolic growth of Bacillus subtilis. Using a multichannel thermal activity monitor, the power-time curves of the metabolic activity of B. subtilis during growth in the absence and presence of various concentrations of As(III) were obtained and studied. The turbidity changes during B. subtilis growth with As(III) were investigated by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and the data agree with the results obtained by microcalorimetry. As(III) of various concentrations has different effects on the metabolic growth of B. subtilis with biphasic dose-response relationships called hormesis [i.e., low-concentration stimulation (10 microg/mL) and high-concentration inhibition (20-160 microg/mL). Typical J-shapes of the relationship between the growth rate constant (k) and c, and toxicity at the half-inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of 98.82 +/- 7.32 microg/mL were obtained. The similarity between the two methods corroborates the validity and sensitivity of the microcalorimetric technique to investigate the toxic effect of As(III) on microorganisms.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Studies & Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology of Chinese Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanjiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Huilun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gai
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maskow
authors.forename: Brunello
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ceccanti
authors.forename: Polonca
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Trebse
authors.forename: Gyula
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zaray
mesh_terms: D018053:Arsenites / Q000633:toxicity*; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002151:Calorimetry; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry
chemical_list: D018053:Arsenites; C015001:arsenite