Conversion Of Arsenate Research Articles

Genome-wide association mapping identifies a new arsenate reductase enzyme critical for limiting arsenic accumulation in plants.

Author SummaryArsenic is a human carcinogen that accumulates from soil into many different food crops, where it presents a significantly increased cancer risk when foods derived from these crops are consumed. Plants naturally control the amount of arsenic they accumulate by first chemically converting arsenate into arsenite, which is then extruded from the roots back into the soil. Because arsenate is a chemical analogue of phosphate, conversion of arsenate in the root to arsenite may also prevent arsenic being efficiently transported to the shoots via the phosphate transport system. The chemical reduction of arsenate to generate arsenite is therefore clearly a key component of a plant's detoxification strategy. Here, we use genetic methods to identify the enzyme responsible for this crucial reaction—HAC1. We show that HAC1 is responsible for arsenate reductase activity in both the outer layer of the root (epidermis) and the inner layer adjacent to the xylem (pericycle). In its absence, the roots return less arsenic to the soil and the shoots accumulate up to 300 times more arsenic. This knowledge creates new opportunities to limit arsenic accumulation in food crops, thereby helping to reduce the cancer risk from this food-chain contaminant.

Facile reduction of arsenate in methanogenic sludge.

Due to the recent enactment of a stricter drinking water standard for arsenate, large quantities of arsenate-laden drinking water residuals will be disposed in municipal landfills. The objective of this study was to determine the role of methanogenic consortia on the conversion of arsenate. Methanogenic conditions commonly occur in mature municipal solid waste landfills. The results indicate the rapid and facile reduction of arsenate to arsenite in methanogenic sludge. Endogenous substrates in the sludge were sufficient to support the reductive biotransformation. However the rates of arsenate reduction were stimulated by the addition of exogenous electron donating substrates, such as H2, lactate or a mixture of volatile fatty acids. A selective methanogenic inhibitor stimulated arsenate reduction in microcosms supplied with H2, suggesting that methanogens competed with arsenate reducers for the electron donor. Rates of arsenate reduction increased with arsenate concentration up to 2 mM, higher concentrations were inhibitory. The electron shuttle, anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate, used as a model of humic quinone moieties, was shown to significantly increase rates of arsenate reduction at substoichiometric concentrations. The presence of sulfur compounds, sulfate and sulfide, did not affect the rate of arsenate transformation but lowered the yield of soluble arsenite, due to the precipitation of arsenite with sulfides. The results taken as a whole suggest that arsenate disposed into anaerobic environments may readily be converted to arsenite increasing the mobility of arsenic. The extent of the increased mobility will depend on the concentration of sulfides generated from sulfate reduction.