Correlations between toxic Pb effects and production of Pb-induced thiol peptides in the microalga Stichococcus bacillaris

Comparing Pb toxicity to the green alga Stichococcus bacillaris and production of Pb-induced thiol peptides in 24-h exposed cells made it possible to show the level of these peptides to reflect Pb availability to algal cells. LC-ESI/MS analysis of these peptides confirmed that they are phytochelatins PC2–PC4 and their des-Gly derivatives. Studies were carried out at environmentally relevant pH values (5–8.5) and various concentrations of hardness cations (Ca, Mg) and orthophosphate: (0–0.1mM), chloride (0–100 mM), citrate (0–1 mM), and humic acids (0–10 mg/l). It has been stated, on the basis of the level of Pb-induced thiol peptides, that Pb availability to algae changed significantly within the range of the pH values studied, and was limited in the presence of calcium and of some complexing ligands like orthophosphate, chloride and citrate; it did not decrease in the presence of magnesium or humic acid.