Coordination Properties of the Fungal Metabolite Harzianic Acid toward Toxic Heavy Metals.

Gaetano De Tommaso,Francesco Salvatore,Mauro Iuliano,Matteo Lorito,Marina Dellagreca,Alessia Staropoli,Francesco Vinale,Rosario Nicoletti,Maria Michela Salvatore,Anna Andolfi

doi:10.3390/toxics9020019

Abstract

Some Trichoderma strains are known for their capacity to produce harzianic acid, a metabolite belonging to the tetramic acid derivatives. Harzianic acid has interesting biological properties, such as antimicrobial activities against phytopathogenic fungi and promotion of plant growth. It also possesses remarkable chemical properties, including the chelating properties toward essential transition metals, which might be related to the biological activities. Increasing knowledge on chelating properties might be relevant for understanding the various beneficial effects of harzianic acid in the interaction between the producer fungi and plants. In this work, the coordination capacity of harzianic acid was studied to evaluate the formation and stability of complexes formed with toxic heavy metals (i.e., Cd2+, Co2+, Ni2+, and Pb2+), which might have a crucial role in the tolerance of plants growing in metal-contaminated soils and in abiotic stress.

Highlights

Heavy metals are present in different concentrations in many rocks and soils, but the major sources of these elements are anthropogenic activities, including industrial emissions and agricultural treatments [1]
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Our findings show that harzianic acid forms stable chelating complexes with a range of metal ions

Summary

Introduction

Heavy metals are present in different concentrations in many rocks and soils, but the major sources of these elements are anthropogenic activities, including industrial emissions and agricultural treatments [1]. Some heavy metals are essential elements for physiological functions, e.g., iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn), while many of them are commonly considered as toxic elements to plants and humans, e.g., lead (Pb), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg) [2]. There is ample literature on the acute and/or chronic toxic effects of these heavy metals for plants and animals [3–5]. In humans, nickel can have an impact on the immune, respiratory, nervous, and reproductive systems [6]; cobalt is mainly responsible for neurological, cardiovascular, and endocrine deficits [7]. Cadmium intoxication can lead to kidney, bone, and pulmonary damages [8]. Lead exposure can cause an increase of oxidative stress, producing various deleterious effects on the hematopoietic, renal, reproductive, and central nervous systems [9]

Methods

Results

Conclusion