title: Lead resistance in micro-organisms.
abstract: Lead (Pb) is an element present in the environment that negatively affects all living organisms. To diminish its high toxicity, micro-organisms have developed several mechanisms that allow them to survive exposure to Pb(II). The main mechanisms of lead resistance involve adsorption by extracellular polysaccharides, cell exclusion, sequestration as insoluble phosphates, and ion efflux to the cell exterior. This review describes the various lead resistance mechanisms, and the regulation of their expression by lead binding regulatory proteins. Special attention is given to the Pbr system from Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34, which involves a unique mechanism combining efflux and lead precipitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Silesia, Jagiellońska Street 28, Katowice 40-032, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jarosławiecka
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Silesia, Jagiellońska Street 28, Katowice 40-032, Poland.
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Piotrowska-Seget
mesh_terms: D049921:Cupriavidus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D007854:Lead / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity*; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways
chemical_list: D007854:Lead