Tellurium: A Rare Element with Influence on Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Biological Systems
Metalloid tellurium is characterized as a chemical element belonging to the chalcogen group without known biological function. However, its compounds, especially the oxyanions, exert numerous negative effects on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Recent evidence suggests that increasing envi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/11/5924 |
| _version_ | 1797531835581857792 |
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| author | Silvia Vávrová Eva Struhárňanská Ján Turňa Stanislav Stuchlík |
| author_facet | Silvia Vávrová Eva Struhárňanská Ján Turňa Stanislav Stuchlík |
| author_sort | Silvia Vávrová |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Metalloid tellurium is characterized as a chemical element belonging to the chalcogen group without known biological function. However, its compounds, especially the oxyanions, exert numerous negative effects on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Recent evidence suggests that increasing environmental pollution with tellurium has a causal link to autoimmune, neurodegenerative and oncological diseases. In this review, we provide an overview about the current knowledge on the mechanisms of tellurium compounds’ toxicity in bacteria and humans and we summarise the various ways organisms cope and detoxify these compounds. Over the last decades, several gene clusters conferring resistance to tellurium compounds have been identified in a variety of bacterial species and strains. These genetic determinants exhibit great genetic and functional diversity. Besides the existence of specific resistance mechanisms, tellurium and its toxic compounds interact with molecular systems, mediating general detoxification and mitigation of oxidative stress. We also discuss the similarity of tellurium and selenium biochemistry and the impact of their compounds on humans. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:50:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1393c804d6d54c4e98101a74e429ba36 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:50:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-1393c804d6d54c4e98101a74e429ba362023-11-21T22:16:07ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672021-05-012211592410.3390/ijms22115924Tellurium: A Rare Element with Influence on Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Biological SystemsSilvia Vávrová0Eva Struhárňanská1Ján Turňa2Stanislav Stuchlík3Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, SlovakiaDepartment of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, SlovakiaDepartment of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, SlovakiaDepartment of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, SlovakiaMetalloid tellurium is characterized as a chemical element belonging to the chalcogen group without known biological function. However, its compounds, especially the oxyanions, exert numerous negative effects on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Recent evidence suggests that increasing environmental pollution with tellurium has a causal link to autoimmune, neurodegenerative and oncological diseases. In this review, we provide an overview about the current knowledge on the mechanisms of tellurium compounds’ toxicity in bacteria and humans and we summarise the various ways organisms cope and detoxify these compounds. Over the last decades, several gene clusters conferring resistance to tellurium compounds have been identified in a variety of bacterial species and strains. These genetic determinants exhibit great genetic and functional diversity. Besides the existence of specific resistance mechanisms, tellurium and its toxic compounds interact with molecular systems, mediating general detoxification and mitigation of oxidative stress. We also discuss the similarity of tellurium and selenium biochemistry and the impact of their compounds on humans.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/11/5924telluriumtellurite resistancehuman diseasesoxidative stress |
| spellingShingle | Silvia Vávrová Eva Struhárňanská Ján Turňa Stanislav Stuchlík Tellurium: A Rare Element with Influence on Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Biological Systems International Journal of Molecular Sciences tellurium tellurite resistance human diseases oxidative stress |
| title | Tellurium: A Rare Element with Influence on Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Biological Systems |
| title_full | Tellurium: A Rare Element with Influence on Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Biological Systems |
| title_fullStr | Tellurium: A Rare Element with Influence on Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Biological Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tellurium: A Rare Element with Influence on Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Biological Systems |
| title_short | Tellurium: A Rare Element with Influence on Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Biological Systems |
| title_sort | tellurium a rare element with influence on prokaryotic and eukaryotic biological systems |
| topic | tellurium tellurite resistance human diseases oxidative stress |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/11/5924 |
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