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Antibacterial, Antifungal and Nematicidal Activities of Rare Earth Ions

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Abstract

Despite the name, rare earth elements are relatively abundant in soil. Therefore, these elements might interact with biosphere during the history of life. In this study, we have examined the effect of rare earth ions on the growth of bacteria, fungi and soil nematode. All rare earth ions, except radioactive promethium that we have not tested, showed antibacterial and antifungal activities comparable to that of copper ions, which is widely used as antibacterial metals in our daily life. Rare earth ions also have nematicidal activities as they strongly perturb the embryonic development of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Interestingly, the nematicidal activity increased with increasing atomic number of lanthanide ions. Since the rare earth ions did not show high toxicity to the human lymphoblastoid cell line or even stimulate the growth of the cultured cells at 1 mM, it raised the possibility that we can substitute rare earth elements for the antibacterial metals usually used because of their safety.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI with a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (B264207180) to TW and AY. The authors would like to thank Dr. Masuo Okada of Hachinohe National College of Technology for his valuable suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Engineering, Iwate University, 4-3-5 Ueda, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan

    Tokumitsu Wakabayashi, Yuta Nakano & Yui Nojiri

  2. Material and Biological Engineering Course, Department of Industrial System Design, National Institute of Technology, Hachinohe College, 16-1 Tamonoki, Uwanotai, Hachinohe, Aomori, 039-1192, Japan

    Ayumi Ymamoto, Akira Kazaana & Moeko Kashiwazaki

Authors
  1. Tokumitsu Wakabayashi
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  2. Ayumi Ymamoto
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  3. Akira Kazaana
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  4. Yuta Nakano
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  5. Yui Nojiri
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  6. Moeko Kashiwazaki
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Tokumitsu Wakabayashi or Ayumi Ymamoto.

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Tokumitsu Wakabayashi and Ayumi Ymamoto contributed equally to this study

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Wakabayashi, T., Ymamoto, A., Kazaana, A. et al. Antibacterial, Antifungal and Nematicidal Activities of Rare Earth Ions. Biol Trace Elem Res 174, 464–470 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-016-0727-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-016-0727-y

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