title: Interactions between heavy metals and photosynthetic materials studied by optical techniques.
abstract: In this work studies on rapid inhibitory interactions between heavy metals and photosynthetic materials at different organization levels were carried out by optical assay techniques, investigating the possibility of applications in the heavy metal detection field. Spinach chloroplasts, thylakoids and Photosystem II proteins were employed as biotools in combination with colorimetric assays based on dichlorophenol indophenole (DCIP) photoreduction and on fluorescence emission techniques. It was found that copper and mercury demonstrated a strong and rapid photosynthetic activity inhibition, that varied from proteins to membranes, while other metals like nickel, cobalt and manganese produced only slight inhibition effects on all tested photosynthetic materials. By emission measurements, only copper was found to rapidly influence the photosynthetic material signals. These findings give interesting information about the rapid effects of heavy metals on isolated photosynthetic samples, and are in addition to the literature data concerning the effects of growth in heavy metal enriched media.
authors.affiliation: Dip. di Chimica, Università di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ventrella
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Catucci
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piletska
authors.forename: Sergey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piletsky
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agostiano
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003124:Colorimetry / Q000379:methods*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004579:Electron Transport; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D010858:Pigmentation; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020524:Thylakoids / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex