Comparative studies on metal biosorption by two strains of Cladosporium cladosporioides

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 80; no. 3; pp. 211 - 215
• Main Authors: Pethkar, A.V, Kulkarni, S.K, Paknikar, K.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2001; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Absorption; Biological and medical sciences; Biosorption; Biotechnology; cadmium; Carbohydrates - chemistry; Cell Wall - chemistry; Cell-wall analysis; Chemical industry. Chemical engineering; Cladosporium - metabolism; Cladosporium cladosporioides; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; FTIR; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; fungi; Gold; hexosamines; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Lipids - chemistry; Mechanism; Metals - metabolism; nitrogen; polymers; Polymers - chemistry; Silver; Spectrophotometry - methods; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared - methods; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; XPS; Gold; Silver; Cell-wall analysis; Biosorption; Cladosporium cladosporioides; FTIR; XPS; Mechanism; Precious metal industry; Selectivity; Metal; Cell wall; Heavy metal; Strain; Fungi; Infrared spectrometry; Binding capacity; Microorganism culture; Photoelectron spectrometry; Hexosamine; Fungi Imperfecti; Comparative study; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/S0960-8524(01)00080-3

Two strains of a fungus, Cladosporium cladosporioides 1 and C. cladosporioides 2 showed different metal biosorption properties. Strain 1 showed preferential sorption of gold and silver, while strain 2 could bind metals such as copper and cadmium in addition to gold and silver. Strain 1 had a cell-wall hexosamine content of 0.1%. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses indicated that nitrogen was not involved in metal biosorption by the strain. In strain 2 the cell-wall hexosamine content was 150 times that of strain 1. These results indicated that hexosamine was responsible for non-specific metal binding while cell-wall polymers other than hexosamines had a role in conferring selectivity in precious-metal binding.