Computer-Simulated Evaluation of Possible Mechanisms for Quenching Heavy Metal Ion Activity in Plant Vacuoles

Abstract

Various mechanisms have been suggested for the quenching of Cd ion activity in plant vacuoles. These include solution complexation with organic acids and sulfhydryl-containing peptides and precipitation as sulfides. Because direct experimental support for these mechanisms is lacking and difficult to obtain, we have used a computer model to evaluate the quenching role of possible organic and inorganic ligands of tobacco cultured cells exposed to Cd. Results of this thermodynamic evaluation, which assumes that a chemical equilibrium state is met in the vacuole, support the conclusion that sulfhydryl-containing peptides and certain organic acids may form soluble Cd complexes. Although complexation of malate and oxalate with Cd is predicted to be less significant, citrate in the concentration range encountered in the tobacco cultured cell vacuoles has high potential for forming soluble complexes with Cd over the entire possible vacuolar pH range, especially 4.3 to 7.0, even in the presence of low levels of Cd-binding peptides. In addition, results show that inorganic chloride, sulfide (if present), and phosphate may also act to sequester Cd ion activity in the vacuole by forming soluble Cd-Cl and insoluble CdS and Cd-phosphate.