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Two-Component Systems in the Regulation of Heavy Metal Resistance

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Metal Ions in Gene Regulation

Part of the book series: Chapman & Hall Microbiology Series ((CHMBS))

Abstract

Microbial resistance to heavy metals is widespread. This is not surprising, as early in evolutionary history microorganisms would have been in contact with toxic concentrations of heavy metals. Geochemical events caused the release of heavy metals from the earth’s crust into the biosphere, and still do. The change from an anoxic to an oxic biosphere altered the redox state and biological availability of a number of heavy metals. Resistances to a wide range of toxic metal ions have been reported in bacteria. These include resistances to metals that are purely toxic, with no ascribed biological function (such as mercury and cadmium), and to metals that are toxic in excess but are required in small amounts for the correct functioning of the bacterial cell (such as copper and zinc) (Silver and Ji 1994; Silver and Walderhaug 1992). Bacteria, and other unicellular organisms, must have mechanisms which allow them to avoid heavy metal toxicity, yet still accumulate enough of the essential heavy metals to allow normal cell growth.

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  1. Dietrich H. Nies
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Nies, D.H., Brown, N.L. (1998). Two-Component Systems in the Regulation of Heavy Metal Resistance. In: Silver, S., Walden, W. (eds) Metal Ions in Gene Regulation. Chapman & Hall Microbiology Series. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5993-1_4

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