Biochemistry of arsenic detoxification

FEBS Lett. 2002 Oct 2;529(1):86-92. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)03186-1.

Abstract

All living organisms have systems for arsenic detoxification. The common themes are (a) uptake of As(V) in the form of arsenate by phosphate transporters, (b) uptake of As(III) in the form of arsenite by aquaglyceroporins, (c) reduction of As(V) to As(III) by arsenate reductases, and (d) extrusion or sequestration of As(III). While the overall schemes for arsenic resistance are similar in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, some of the specific proteins are the products of separate evolutionary pathways.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Aquaporins / genetics
  • Aquaporins / metabolism
  • Arsenic / metabolism
  • Arsenic / pharmacokinetics*
  • Arsenite Transporting ATPases
  • Bacteria / metabolism*
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Biotransformation
  • Eukaryotic Cells / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Inactivation, Metabolic
  • Ion Channels / genetics
  • Ion Channels / metabolism
  • Ion Pumps / chemistry
  • Ion Pumps / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Multienzyme Complexes / chemistry
  • Multienzyme Complexes / metabolism*

Substances

  • AQP7 protein, human
  • AQP9 protein, human
  • Aquaporins
  • Ion Channels
  • Ion Pumps
  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • Arsenite Transporting ATPases
  • Arsenic