CADMIUM SEQUESTRATION IN CELLS OF 2 STRAINS OF ALCALIGENES-EUTROPHUS

Alicaligenes eutrophus CH34 and its plasmid-free derivative were cultivated in the presence of cadmium. The wild type strain A. eutrophus CH34 harboured two plasmids and was cadmium-resistant, while the plasmid-free mutant AE104 was cadmium-sensitive. The Cd-resistant strain immobilized more cadmium than the Cd-sensitive one. Cadmium was mainly located in the cell envelopes of the Cd-resistant strain. Several cellular modifications were observed: thickening of the cell envelopes and changes int he peptidoglycan, i.e. its proportion in the envelopes, the ratio between glutamic acid and diaminopimelic acid, the presence of aspartic acid. These modifications should contribute to increase the cadmium sequestration capacity of the envelopes. © 1990.