Indigoidine and deoxyviolacein co-pigmentation in a single bacterial cell enables visual discrimination of Pb(ii) and Hg(ii) in environmental water matrices.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 China.
- 2Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases Shenzhen 518020 China [email protected].
- 3School of Public Health, Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 China.
- 4School of Public Health, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518055 China.
- 5School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University Dongguan 523808 China.
Abstract
Heavy metal co-contamination of lead and mercury in aquatic environments poses escalating risks to public health and ecosystems. Conventional instrumental methods, while accurate, are ill-suited for routine on-site screening due to high costs and operational complexity. Here, we describe a dual-pigment whole-cell biosensor engineered in Escherichia coli TOP10 for simultaneous visual detection of Pb(ii) and Hg(ii). The sensor integrates a Pb(ii)-responsive PbrR regulatory module that drives indigoidine biosynthesis with an Hg(ii)-responsive MerR module that drives deoxyviolacein biosynthesis within a single construct. Upon exposure to metal, the engineered strain produces distinct blue and purple pigments that are quantifiable at 600 nm and 570 nm, respectively. The biosensor achieved limits of detection of 6.74 nM for Pb(ii) and 0.0631 nM for Hg(ii), with both channels exhibiting high selectivity against competing metal ions. Performance was further validated in spiked surface water and seawater matrices, where clear dose-response relationships were maintained. By enabling naked-eye discrimination of two toxic metals near regulatory thresholds in a standard microplate format, this platform offers a low-cost, high-throughput alternative for preliminary environmental monitoring and emergency pollution assessment.
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BibTeX
@article{ma2026indigoidine,
title = {{Indigoidine and deoxyviolacein co-pigmentation in a single bacterial cell enables visual discrimination of Pb(ii) and Hg(ii) in environmental water matrices.}},
author = {Zongjie Ma and Yan Guo and Wenjun Luo and Keyan Wei and Zhaobo Hu and Jiajun Huang and Yuting Chen and Chang-Ye Hui},
journal = {RSC advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1039/d6ra05888d},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42899143},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Indigoidine and deoxyviolacein co-pigmentation in a single bacterial cell enables visual discrimination of Pb(ii) and Hg(ii) in environmental water matrices.
AU - Zongjie Ma
AU - Yan Guo
AU - Wenjun Luo
AU - Keyan Wei
AU - Zhaobo Hu
AU - Jiajun Huang
AU - Yuting Chen
AU - Chang-Ye Hui
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - RSC advances
DO - 10.1039/d6ra05888d
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42899143
AB - Heavy metal co-contamination of lead and mercury in aquatic environments poses escalating risks to public health and ecosystems. Conventional instrumental methods, while accurate, are ill-suited for routine on-site screening due to high costs and operational complexity. Here, we describe a dual-pigment whole-cell biosensor engineered in Escherichia coli TOP10 for simultaneous visual detection of Pb(ii) and Hg(ii). The sensor integrates a Pb(ii)-responsive PbrR regulatory module that drives indigoidine biosynthesis with an Hg(ii)-responsive MerR module that drives deoxyviolacein biosynthesis within a single construct. Upon exposure to metal, the engineered strain produces distinct blue and purple pigments that are quantifiable at 600 nm and 570 nm, respectively. The biosensor achieved limits of detection of 6.74 nM for Pb(ii) and 0.0631 nM for Hg(ii), with both channels exhibiting high selectivity against competing metal ions. Performance was further validated in spiked surface water and seawater matrices, where clear dose-response relationships were maintained. By enabling naked-eye discrimination of two toxic metals near regulatory thresholds in a standard microplate format, this platform offers a low-cost, high-throughput alternative for preliminary environmental monitoring and emergency pollution assessment.
SN - 2046-2069
ER -