heavy metal toxicity – Page 2

Arsenic Stress Resistance in the Endophytic Fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides: Physiological and Transcriptomic Insights into Heavy Metal Detoxification

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A special fungus called Cladosporium cladosporioides, found living inside the roots of Gentiana yunnanensis (a traditional Chinese medicine herb), can tolerate extremely high levels of arsenic. Researchers discovered that this fungus protects itself from arsenic poisoning by storing arsenic mostly in its cell walls, converting toxic arsenic into less harmful forms, and activating its antioxidant defense systems. This discovery could help reduce arsenic contamination in medicinal herbs and lead to new methods for cleaning arsenic-polluted soil.

Native Fungi as a Nature-Based Solution to Mitigate Toxic Metal(loid) Accumulation in Rice

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Rice farmers dealing with contaminated soils now have a natural solution: specially selected fungi can be added to the soil to help reduce toxic metal accumulation in rice plants. In a greenhouse study, native fungi reduced arsenic uptake by up to 75% when combined with specific water management practices. This approach offers an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional remediation methods while promoting sustainable agriculture in metal-contaminated areas.

Tolerance and antioxidant response to heavy metals are differentially activated in Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma longibrachiatum

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This research examined how two types of fungi called Trichoderma respond to contamination from heavy metals like copper, lead, and chromium. The study found that one species (T. longibrachiatum) is better at surviving heavy metal exposure than the other. Both species activate defensive mechanisms to combat the toxic effects, including producing protective proteins and enzymes that neutralize harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species.

Identification of two metallothioneins in Agaricus crocodilinus reveals gene duplication and domain expansion, a pattern conserved across fungal species

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A common edible mushroom called A. crocodilinus can accumulate dangerous levels of cadmium from soil without being harmed. Scientists discovered this mushroom produces two different proteins called metallothioneins that work together to safely trap and store the toxic cadmium. One protein handles constant, everyday cadmium storage in the mushroom fruiting body, while the other activates quickly when the roots encounter sudden heavy metal stress. This same protective strategy appears in other mushroom species, showing it’s an important evolutionary adaptation.

Research Keyword: heavy metal toxicity

Arsenic Stress Resistance in the Endophytic Fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides: Physiological and Transcriptomic Insights into Heavy Metal Detoxification

Native Fungi as a Nature-Based Solution to Mitigate Toxic Metal(loid) Accumulation in Rice

Tolerance and antioxidant response to heavy metals are differentially activated in Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma longibrachiatum

Identification of two metallothioneins in Agaricus crocodilinus reveals gene duplication and domain expansion, a pattern conserved across fungal species