A protective role of methionine-R-sulfoxide reductase against cadmium in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells harboring the methionine- R-sulfoxide reductase (MsrB)-overexpressing recombinant plasmid pFMetSO exhibited better growth than vector control cells, when shifted into fresh medium containing cadmium chloride (abbreviated as Cd). Although both groups of cells contained enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in the presence of Cd, ROS and NO levels were significantly lower in the S. pombe cells harboring pFMetSO than in vector control cells. Conversely, the S. pombe cells harboring pFMetSO possessed higher total glutathione (GSH) levels and a greater reduced/oxidized GSH ratio than vector control cells under the same conditions.