A bioluminescent signal system: detection of chemical toxicants in water

Abstract

Prototype technologies of a bioluminescent signal system (BSS) based on the luminous bacterium Photobacterium phosphoreum and three enzymatic bioluminescence systems have been proposed for detecting and signalling the presence of toxicants in water systems. A number of pesticides, mostly known as poisonous substances, similar in their structures and physicochemical properties, have been taken as model compounds of chemical agents. The effect of toxicants (organophosphates, derivatives of dithiocarbamide acid, and pyrethroid preparations) on the bioluminescence of the four systems has been analysed. EC(50) and EC(80) have been determined and compared to the maximum permissible concentration for each of the analysed substances. The triple-enzyme systems with ADH and trypsin have been shown to be more sensitive to organophosphorous compounds (0.13-11 mg/L), while the triple-enzyme system with trypsin is highly sensitive to lipotropic poison, a derivative of dithiocarbamine acid (0.03 mg/L). Sensitivities of the triple-enzyme systems to pyrethroid preparations are similar to those of luminous bacteria (0.9-5 mg/L). The results can be used to construct an alarm-test bioluminescence system for detecting chemical toxicants, based on intact bacteria or enzyme systems.

Development of immobilized biophotonic beads consisting of Photobacterium leiognathi for the detection of heavy metals and pesticide

“…Chemical toxic agents with different physicochemical properties adversely affect various cellular components or pathways [12,25]. The response of bioluminescence systems to toxicants is determined by the integrated effects of a number of cellular processes, i.e.…”

“…The bioluminescence method is quick and inexpensive, and allows detection of a wide range of substances for subsequent accurate chemical analysis. The other advantages of bioluminescence tests are: high sensitivity to toxic substances, simple measurement procedure, the availability of reagents and bioluminometers, and the possibility of automating the analysis due to use of immobilized reagents [25]. The optical based bio-sensing systems have also been applied for the detection of baculovirus infection, Vitamin B 12 and methyl parathion owing to their high sensitivity [26][27][28][29].…”

Sorptive extraction techniques in sample preparation for organophosphorus pesticides in complex matrices

“…Therefore, there is an increasing concern with regard to the determination of these compounds. Up to now, OPPs analysis has been performed by the use of gas chromatography (GC) [3][4][5], high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) [6,7], capillary electrophoresis (CE) [8], biosensors [9][10][11][12] and many other methods [13,14]. However, due to the low OPP concentrations, the low maximum residue limits (MRLs), and the complexity of matrices, real samples cannot be directly analyzed without sample preparation.…”

Assessing Ecotoxicity in Marine Environment Using Luminescent Microalgae: Where Are We At?

“…Another bioluminescent bacteria, Photobacterium phosphoreum, was proposed for detecting and signalling the presence of toxicants in water systems [27]. Microalgae are also attractive systems for the development of new toxicity bioassays.…”