The adaptive response of lichens to mercury exposure involves changes in the photosynthetic machinery

Lichens are an excellent model to study the bioaccumulation of heavy metals but limited information is available on the molecular mechanisms occurring during bioaccumulation. We investigated the changes of the lichen proteome during exposure to constant concentrations of mercury. We found that most of changes involves proteins of the photosynthetic pathway, such as the chloroplastic photosystem I reaction center subunit II, the oxygen-evolving protein and the chloroplastic ATP synthase β-subunit. This suggests that photosynthesis is a target of the toxic effects of mercury. These findings are also supported by changes in the content of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b, and β-carotene). Alterations to the photosynthetic machinery also reflect on the structure of thylakoid membranes of algal cells. Response of lichens to mercury also involves stress-related proteins (such as Hsp70) but not cytoskeletal proteins. Results suggest that lichens adapt to mercury exposure by changing the metabolic production of energy.

► Lichens exposed to Hg° vapors accumulate this metal irreversibly.
► Hg° interferes with physiological processes of the epiphytic lichen Evernia prunastri.
► Hg° promotes changes in the concentration of photosynthetic pigments.
► Hg° treatment causes changes in the ultrastructure of the photobiont plastids.
► Hg° induces changes in the protein machinery involved in the photosynthesis pathway.