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1.
Overexpression of ZNT1 and NRAMP4 from the Ni Hyperaccumulator Noccaea caerulescens Population Monte Prinzera in Arabidopsis thaliana Perturbs Fe, Mn, and Ni Accumulation.
Fasani, E, DalCorso, G, Zorzi, G, Agrimonti, C, Fragni, R, Visioli, G, Furini, A
International journal of molecular sciences. 2021;(21)
Abstract
Metalliferous soils are characterized by a high content of metal compounds that can hamper plant growth. The pseudometallophyte Noccaea caerulescens is able to grow on metalliferous substrates by implementing both tolerance and accumulation of usually toxic metal ions. Expression of particular transmembrane transporter proteins (e.g., members of the ZIP and NRAMP families) leads to metal tolerance and accumulation, and its comparison between hyperaccumulator N. caerulescens with non-accumulator relatives Arabidopsis thaliana and Thlaspi arvense has deepened our knowledge on mechanisms adopted by plants to survive in metalliferous soils. In this work, two transporters, ZNT1 and NRAMP4, expressed in a serpentinic population of N. caerulescens identified on the Monte Prinzera (Italy) are considered, and their expression has been induced in yeast and in A. thaliana. In the latter, single transgenic lines were crossed to test the effect of the combined over-expression of the two transporters. An enhanced iron and manganese translocation towards the shoot was induced by overexpression of NcZNT1. The combined overexpression of NcZNT1 and NcNRAMP4 did perturb the metal accumulation in plants.
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2.
Comparative ecotoxicity of single and binary mixtures exposures of cadmium and nickel on growth and biomarkers of Lemna gibba.
Martinez, S, Sáenz, ME, Alberdi, JL, Di Marzio, WD
Ecotoxicology (London, England). 2021;(1):91-103
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the toxicity effects of cadmium-nickel (Cd-Ni) after single and mixtures exposures over the macrophyte Lemna gibba. Effects were assessed on growth, as frond number and fresh weight and biochemical parameters, such as total protein content and activity of antioxidant enzymes. Plants were exposed to single Cd and Ni in concentrations that ranged between 0.13-33 mg/L and 0.18 and 11.82 mg/L, respectively. For binary mixtures, individual metal IC50 values were used for selection of the evaluated concentrations. The experimental design consisted in three different ratios based on the concept of toxic units (TU), each ratio was evaluated by five different concentrations. Both single and mixture treatments were performed for 7 days following the conditions according to OECD (2006). Single and mixture exposures affected plant growth and the biomarkers of the antioxidant response. Growth parameters showed a differential sensitivity after individual metal exposures. Cd was more toxic for L. gibba plants when fresh weight was considered, but on the contrary, considering frond number, Ni was the most toxic metal. IC50-7d, based on growth rate calculated on frond number were 17.8 and 2.47 mg/L, and on fresh weight were 1.08 and 3.89 mg/L, for Cd and Ni respectively. LOEC values for Cd were obtained at 2.06 and 1.03 mg/L, for frond number and fresh weight, respectively; while for Ni, these values were 0.92 and 11.82 mg/L. The three evaluated ratios for binary mixtures resulted in a high toxicity considering the same response variables in single metal exposures. Ratio 1 (2/3 TU Cd-1/3 TU Ni) was the most toxic considering both frond number and fresh weight, showing percentage inhibition of growth rates of 96 and 90%, respectively for the highest concentration. A modification of the protein content was observed in single, but especially in the mixture treatments. The activity of catalase (CAT; EC 1.11.1.6), ascorbate peroxidase (APOX; EC 1.11.1.11) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPOX; EC 1.11.1.7) was also affected in single and mixtures assays. APOX and GPOX showed a higher increase of its activities respect the controls after mixture treatments than for single metal treatments. Such optimization of the antioxidant system could be one of the causes of the antagonistic toxicity observed in mixture exposures. Concentration addition (CA) reference model, based on frond number, in Cd-Ni mixtures was not a good predictor to evaluate toxicity from dissolved metal concentration since the results showed that toxicity was less than additive, with an average of ΣTU = 2.17. The observed antagonisms resulted to be stronger in mixtures with higher metal concentrations.
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3.
Solvent-Induced Formation of Novel Ni(II) Complexes Derived from Bis-Thiosemicarbazone Ligand: An Insight from Experimental and Theoretical Investigations.
Mahmoudi, G, Babashkina, MG, Maniukiewicz, W, Afkhami, FA, Nunna, BB, Zubkov, FI, Ptaszek, AL, Szczepanik, DW, Mitoraj, MP, Safin, DA
International journal of molecular sciences. 2021;(10)
Abstract
In this work, we report solvent-induced complexation properties of a new N2S2 tetradentate bis-thiosemicarbazone ligand (H2LI), prepared by the condensation of 4-phenylthiosemicarbazide with bis-aldehyde, namely 2,2'-(ethane-1,2-diylbis(oxy)dibenzaldehyde, towards nickel(II). Using ethanol as a reaction medium allowed the isolation of a discrete mononuclear homoleptic complex [NiLI] (1), for which its crystal structure contains three independent molecules, namely 1-I, 1-II, and 1-III, in the asymmetric unit. The doubly deprotonated ligand LI in the structure of 1 is coordinated in a cis-manner through the azomethine nitrogen atoms and the thiocarbonyl sulfur atoms. The coordination geometry around metal centers in all the three crystallographically independent molecules of 1 is best described as the seesaw structure. Interestingly, using methanol as a reaction medium in the same synthesis allowed for the isolation of a discrete mononuclear homoleptic complex [Ni(LII)2] (2), where LII is a monodeprotonated ligand 2-(2-(2-(2-(dimethoxymethyl)phenoxy)ethoxy)benzylidene)-N-phenylhydrazine-1-carbothioamide (HLII). The ligand LII was formed in situ from the reaction of LI with methanol upon coordination to the metal center under synthetic conditions. In the structure of 2, two ligands LII are coordinated in a trans-manner through the azomethine nitrogen atom and the thiocarbonyl sulfur atom, also yielding a seesaw coordination geometry around the metal center. The charge and energy decomposition scheme ETS-NOCV allows for the conclusion that both structures are stabilized by a bunch of London dispersion-driven intermolecular interactions, including predominantly N-H∙∙∙S and N-H∙∙∙O hydrogen bonds in 1 and 2, respectively; they are further augmented by less typical C-H∙∙∙X (where X = S, N, O, π), CH∙∙∙HC, π∙∙∙π stacking and the most striking, attractive long-range intermolecular C-H∙∙∙Ni preagostic interactions. The latter are found to be determined by both stabilizing Coulomb forces and an exchange-correlation contribution as revealed by the IQA energy decomposition scheme. Interestingly, the analogous long-range C-H∙∙∙S interactions are characterized by a repulsive Coulomb contribution and the prevailing attractive exchange-correlation constituent. The electron density of the delocalized bonds (EDDB) method shows that the nickel(II) atom shares only ~0.8|e| due to the σ-conjugation with the adjacent in-plane atoms, demonstrating a very weak σ-metalloaromatic character.
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4.
Corticosteroid application prior to nickel exposure prevents contact dermatitis in sensitized individuals.
Piesik, P, Han, C, de Gannes, G, Dutz, J
Contact dermatitis. 2020;(3):170-173
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5.
Effects of diet on skin sensitization by nickel, poison ivy, and sesquiterpene lactones.
An, N, Pourzal, S, Luccioli, S, Vukmanović, S
Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association. 2020;:111137
Abstract
Skin contact or exposure to sensitizers often occurs as a consequence of occupational exposures (e.g. poison ivy in forestry), wearing jewelry (e.g. nickel), or use of cosmetics (e.g. fragrances). However, many of the known skin sensitizers or their chemical variants are also consumed orally through foods or other sources. Since oral exposure to antigenic substances can lead to tolerance, consumption of sensitizers may impact the development and potency of skin sensitization, especially if the sensitizer is consumed early in life, prior to the first skin contact. To address this issue, we have reviewed human clinical and epidemiological literature relevant to this subject and evaluated whether early oral exposures to relevant sensitizers, or their chemical variants, are associated with reduced prevalence of skin sensitization to three main allergic sensitizers - nickel, urushiols of poison ivy, and sesquiterpene lactones of chrysanthemum and other plants.
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6.
Nickel toxicology with reference to male molecular reproductive physiology.
Rizvi, A, Parveen, S, Khan, S, Naseem, I
Reproductive biology. 2020;(1):3-8
Abstract
The toxicity of metals is a known phenomenon. Nickel toxicity is very common since nickel is used extensively both industrially and in items of personal use such as utensils and jewellery. Here we discuss human exposure to nickel and its toxicity in the light of the available scientific evidence to understand its underlying pathophysiology. The ability of Ni+2 to get oxidized to Ni+3 renders it's potential of generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the system leading to oxidative stress. Carcinogenesis, apoptosis induction, contact dermatitis, epigenetic changes, and alteration in gene regulation are a result of overexposure of nickel. Our focus is on how nickel affects the male reproductive physiology. Nickel primarily drives ROS mediated perturbations in the male reproductive system. It influences zinc metabolism, which is critical for sperm stability and affects the structure of DNA binding proteins, including protamines, thereby affecting sperm function.
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7.
Ecospheric Decontamination Attained via Green Nanobiotechnological NiO-Based Nanocatalyst Derived from Nature's Biofactories.
Zahra, T, Ahmad, KS, Ali, D
International journal of nanomedicine. 2020;:8357-8367
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Water contamination from dye effluents from various industrial sources has become a major challenge of the scientific community that is difficult to remediate using orthodox chemical and biological procedures. As such, there is a need for more suitable and cost-effective ways to treat such effluents. The present work describes a green-synthesis approach for preparation of three types of Ni-based oxides as effective catalytic materials to remove environmental pollutants. Metal oxide nanomaterials are cheap, abundant, and ecofriendly earth metals, and thus are promising materials for catalytic applications for environmental detoxification. METHODS An aqueous leaf extract of Prunus persica was used as a reducing agent for the synthesis of NiO, NiO-PdO, and NiO-ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). The leaf extract was treated with each metal-salt precursor based on sol-gel synthesis, and then the final procured NPs were analyzed by spectroscopic techniques for structural and morphological makeup. The pure NPs were further explored for catalytic degradation of hazardous aqueous dye at ambient conditions, instead of following any sophisticated experimental conditions. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Morphological features revealed the pure formation of NiO, NiO-ZnO, and NiO-PdO NPs of size <100nm, characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Catalytic tests with methyl orange revealed the remediation potential of synthesized material, showing the pseudo-first order kinetics (R 2<1) for NiO, NiO-PdO, and NiO-ZnO. NiO-ZnO gave outstanding results both in dark (R 2=0.88) and light (R 2=0.82) with degradation percentage of 99% (dark) in comparison with the other two catalysts. Moreover, excellent catalyst stability for NiO-ZnO) was observed, even after the fourth cycle, under both light and dark conditions and was separated easily during centrifugation. CONCLUSION Although all three materials depicted the degradation potential with good stability, but the NiO-ZnO catalyst was the best catalytic material in the present investigation, with prominent degradation percentage, and can be considered as an efficient catalytic material. Thus, we conclude that P. persica-inspired catalytic material could pave the path toward environmental remediation, alternative clean energy, and other biological applications.
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8.
Preparation of nickel-iron hydroxides by microorganism corrosion for efficient oxygen evolution.
Yang, H, Gong, L, Wang, H, Dong, C, Wang, J, Qi, K, Liu, H, Guo, X, Xia, BY
Nature communications. 2020;(1):5075
Abstract
Nickel-iron composites are efficient in catalyzing oxygen evolution. Here, we develop a microorganism corrosion approach to construct nickel-iron hydroxides. The anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria, using sulfate as the electron acceptor, play a significant role in the formation of iron sulfide decorated nickel-iron hydroxides, which exhibit excellent electrocatalytic performance for oxygen evolution. Experimental and theoretical investigations suggest that the synergistic effect between oxyhydroxides and sulfide species accounts for the high activity. This microorganism corrosion strategy not only provides efficient candidate electrocatalysts but also bridges traditional corrosion engineering and emerging electrochemical energy technologies.
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9.
Modulating Effect of Ligand Charge on the Electronic Properties of 2Ni-2S Structures and Implications for Biological 2M-2S Sites.
Berkefeld, A, Roemelt, M, Römelt, C, Schubert, H, Jeschke, G
Inorganic chemistry. 2020;(23):17234-17243
Abstract
Sulfur-bridged bimetallic 2M-2S type structures are essential cofactors that participate in biological long-range electron transport and metabolism. Metal-sulfur bond covalency is a decisive property for inner sphere (through-bond) type electron transfer that dominates in buried or hydrophobic protein environments. This work reports on a combined experimental and computational study of the effect of ligand charge on the electronic structure of a 2Ni-2S model site that adopts the biologically relevant S = 1/2 redox state. Starting out from an isostructural dinickel(1.5+)-dithiophenolate platform with sulfur-bridged tetrahedral Ni sites, η2:η2-μ-coordination of the S = 1/2 [2Ni-2S]+ core to either a neutral π-system or strongly σ-donating cyclohexadienido renders its electronic structure substantially different. Density functional theory analysis corroborates pulse and continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance data that associate co-ligand charge with the significant change in the mechanism and size of electron-31P nuclear spin hyperfine coupling to a phosphine reporter ligand at each nickel center. An increasing level of charge donation attenuates direct and through-bridge electronic coupling of the metal sites, resulting in a stronger electronic coupling of the 2Ni-2S core to its terminal phosphine donors. Drawing a connection to biological 2M-2S sites, our 2Ni-2S system indicates that a fine balance of intracore and core-protein electronic coupling is key to biological function for which the degree of charge donation by peripheral donors appears to be a significant parameter.
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10.
Mechanisms of Nickel-Induced Cell Damage in Allergic Contact Dermatitis and Nutritional Intervention Strategies.
Filatova, D, Cherpak, C
Endocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets. 2020;(7):1010-1014
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypersensitivity to nickel is a very common cause of allergic contact dermatitis since this metal is largely present in industrial and consumer products as well as in some commonly consumed foods, air, soil, and water. In nickel-sensitized individuals, a cell-mediated delayed hypersensitivity response results in contact to dermatitis due to mucous membranes coming in long-term contact with nickel-containing objects. This process involves the generation of reactive oxidative species and lipid peroxidation-induced oxidative damage. Immunologically, the involvement of T helper (h)-1 and Th-2 cells, as well as the reduced function of T regulatory cells, are of importance. The toxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity of nickel are attributed to the generation of reactive oxygen species and induction of oxidative damage via lipid peroxidation, which results in DNA damage. OBJECTIVE The aim of this research is to identify nutritionally actionable interventions that can intercept nickel-induced cell damage due to their antioxidant capacities. CONCLUSION Nutritional interventions may be used to modulate immune dysregulation, thereby intercepting nickel-induced cellular damage. Among these nutritional interventions are a low-nickel diet and an antioxidant-rich diet that is sufficient in iron needed to minimize nickel absorption. These dietary approaches not only reduce the likelihood of nickel toxicity by minimizing nickel exposure but also help prevent oxidative damage by supplying the body with antioxidants that neutralize free radicals.