Resistance mechanisms to arsenicals and antimonials Article

Rosen, BP. (1995). Resistance mechanisms to arsenicals and antimonials . Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology, 6(3-4), 251-264. 10.1515/JBCPP.1995.6.3-4.251

cited authors

  • Rosen, BP

abstract

  • Salts and organic derivatives of arsenic and antimony are quite toxic. Living organisms have adapted to this toxicity by the evolution of resistance mechanisms. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells develop resistance when exposed to arsenicals or antimonials. In the case of bacteria resistance is conferred by plasmid-encoded arsenical resistance (ars) operons. The genes and gene products of the ars operon of the clinically-isolated conjugative R-factor R773 have been identified and their mechanism of action elucidated. The operon encodes an ATP-driven pump that extrudes arsenite and antimonite from the cells. The lowering of their intracellular concentration results in resistance. Arsenate resistance results from the action of the plasmid-encoded arsenate reductase that reduces arsenate to arsenite, which is then pumped out of the cell. © Freund Publishing House Ltd. 1995

authors

publication date

  • January 1, 1995

published in

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 251

end page

  • 264

volume

  • 6

issue

  • 3-4