The change in the electro-rotation of yeast cells effected by silver ions

Abstract Pre-treatment of brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cells with silver acetate or nitrate at concentrations of 20 nmol/l or higher caused a dramatic increase in the number of cells which rotated in the same direction as the field (‘Co-field rotation’). The change in rotation of single cells correlated very well with the chemically observed loss of potassium induced by Ag+. The sensitivity to Ag+ was lowered by increasing the cell concentration, and the extent of this change can be used to estimate the binding of Ag+ per cell and the limiting sensitivity of the method. The Ag+ concentration required to induce a response was found to be increased significantly in the presence of alkali ions (especially K+) during the Ag+ incubation. The Ag+ sensitivity was, therefore, observed to be a function of the type and strength of buffer used in the incubation. Under certain conditions, 1 mM Ca2+ increased the Ag+ sensitivity. These observations show that the presence or absence of ions that are so common that they are often overlooked may have interesting consequences for the bio-assay of heavy metals.

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