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Millions of people globally are exposed to the proven human carcinogen arsenic at unacceptable levels in drinking water. In contrast, arsenic is a poor rodent carcinogen, requiring >100-fold higher doses for tumor induction, which may be explained by toxicokinetic differences between humans and mice. The human ATP-binding cassette subfamily C (ABCC) transporter hABCC4 mediates the cellular efflux of a diverse array of metabolites, including the glutathione (GSH) conjugate of the highly toxic monomethylarsonous acid (MMA III ), monomethylarsenic diglutathione [MMA(GS) 2 ], and the major human urinary arsenic metabolite dimethylarsinic acid (DMA V ). Our objective was to determine if mouse Abcc4 (mAbcc4) protected against and/or transported the same arsenic species as hABCC4. The anti-ABCC4 antibody M 4 I-10 epitope was first mapped to an octapeptide ( 411 HVQDFTA 418 F) present in both hABCC4 and mAbcc4, enabling quantification of relative amounts of hABCC4/mAbcc4. mAbcc4 expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK)293 cells did not protect against any of the six arsenic species tested [arsenite, arsenate, MMA III , monomethylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinous acid, or DMA V ], despite displaying remarkable resistance against the antimetabolite 6-mercaptopurine (>9-fold higher than hABCC4). Furthermore, mAbcc4-enriched membrane vesicles prepared from transfected HEK293 cells did not transport MMA(GS) 2 or DMA V despite a >3-fold higher transport activity than hABCC4-enriched vesicles for the prototypic substrate 17 β -estradiol-17-( β -D-glucuronide). Abcc4 (+/+) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were ∼3-fold more resistant to arsenate than Abcc4 (-/-) MEFs; however, further characterization indicated that this was not mAbcc4 mediated. Thus, under the conditions tested, arsenicals are not transported by mAbcc4, and differences between the substrate selectivity of hABCC4 and mAbcc4 seem likely to contribute to arsenic toxicokinetic differences between human and mouse. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Toxicokinetics of the carcinogen arsenic differ among animal species. Arsenic methylation is known to contribute to this, whereas arsenic transporters have not been considered. Human ATP-binding cassette subfamily C member 4 (hABCC4) is a high-affinity transporter of toxicologically important arsenic metabolites. Here we used multiple approaches to demonstrate that mouse Abcc4 does not protect cells against or transport any arsenic species tested. Thus, differences between hABCC4 and mAbcc4 substrate selectivity likely contribute to differences in human and mouse arsenic toxicokinetics., (Copyright © 2024 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.)

Arsenic, a widespread environmental contaminant, is highly toxic to human health. Arsenic exposure is associated with the occurrence of skin lesions and diseases. This study investigated the dermal toxicity of trivalent arsenicals (As III and MMA III ) and its underlying mechanism using human keratinocyte cell line and ex vivo porcine skin. As III and MMA III induced concentration-dependent cell apoptosis and necrosis in HaCaT cells, which was confirmed in ex vivo porcine skin. As III and MMA III increased reactive oxygen species generation and GSH depletion. Interestingly, radical scavenger antioxidants such as Vitamin C failed to mitigate arsenic-induced cytotoxicity, while thiol-containing compounds effectively alleviated it, suggesting a key role of thiol depletion in the trivalent arsenical-induced dermal toxicity. DMSA showed the strongest protective effects against As III and MMA III -induced cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells. Of note, DMSA restored arsenical-induced tissue damage, and reduced the apoptosis in ex vivo porcine skin, highlighting its potential use to alleviate arsenic-induced skin lesions and diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Dimethylmonothioarsinic acid (DMMTA V ), a pentavalent thio-arsenic derivative, has been found in bodily fluids and tissues including urine, liver, kidney homogenates, plasma, and red blood cells. Although DMMTA V is a minor metabolite in humans and animals, its substantial toxicity raises concerns about potential carcinogenic effects. This toxicity could be attributed to arsenicals' ability to regulate cytochrome P450 1 A (CYP1A) enzymes, pivotal in procarcinogen activation or detoxification. The current study investigates DMMTA V 's impact on CYP1A1/2 expression, individually and in conjunction with its inducer, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with 6 mg/kg DMMTA V , alone or with 15 μg/kg TCDD, for 6 and 24 h. Similarly, Hepa-1c1c7 cells were exposed to DMMTA V (0.5, 1, and 2 μM) with or without 1 nM TCDD for 6 and 24 h. DMMTA V hindered TCDD-induced elevation of Cyp1a1 mRNA, both in vivo (at 6 h) and in vitro, associated with reduced CYP1A regulatory element activation. Interestingly, in C57BL/6 mice, DMMTA V boosted TCDD-induced CYP1A1/2 protein and activity, unlike Hepa-1c1c7 cells where it suppressed both. DMMTA V co-exposure increased TCDD-induced Cyp1a2 mRNA. While Cyp1a1 mRNA stability remained unchanged, DMMTA V negatively affected protein stability, indicated by shortened half-life. Baseline levels of CYP1A1/2 mRNA, protein, and catalytic activities showed no significant alterations in DMMTA V -treated C57BL/6 mice and Hepa-1c1c7 cells. Taken together, these findings indicate, for the first time, that DMMTA V differentially modulates the TCDD-mediated induction of AHR-regulated enzymes in both liver of C57BL/6 mice and murine Hepa-1c1c7 cells suggesting that thio-arsenic pentavalent metabolites are extremely reactive and could play a role in the toxicity of arsenic., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Dimethylmonothioarsinic acid (DMMTA(V)) and dimethyldithioarsinic acid (DMDTA(V)), which are commonly found in landfill leachate and pore water of rice paddy soil, have attracted considerable attention for their high toxicity. This study aims to evaluate the behavior and potential risks of DMMTA(V) and DMDTA(V) in the environment by conducting an equilibrium sorption test using 2-line ferrihydrite and acute toxicity (immobilization) test using Daphnia magna. The overall maximum sorption capacity (q m ) derived by the Langmuir isotherm model showed an increase in the order of inorganic arsenate (As(V)) > dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)) > DMMTA(V) > DMDTA(V), which was likely due to steric hindrance due to the presence of methyl and thiol groups. Moreover, DMMTA(V) and DMDTA(V) showed no or negligible change in q m with pH change, while q m decreased rapidly with increasing pH in As(V) and DMA(V). The 50% inhibition concentrations (IC50) for As(V), DMA(V), DMMTA(V), and DMDTA(V), which were measured after 48 h exposure to D. magna, were 9.5, > 30, 1.7, and 6.5 mg/L, respectively. Overall, the results demonstrated that DMMTA(V) and DMDTA(V) have high mobility and eco-toxicity in the environment and that methylated thioarsenicals should be accurately monitored and controlled., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The toxic metalloid inorganic arsenic (iAs) is widely distributed in the environment. Chronic exposure to iAs from environmental sources has been linked to a variety of human diseases. Methylation of iAs is the primary pathway for metabolism of iAs. In humans, methylation of iAs is catalyzed by arsenic (+ 3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT). Conversion of iAs to mono- and di-methylated species (MAs and DMAs) detoxifies iAs by increasing the rate of whole body clearance of arsenic. Interindividual differences in iAs metabolism play key roles in pathogenesis of and susceptibility to a range of disease outcomes associated with iAs exposure. These adverse health effects are in part associated with the production of methylated trivalent arsenic species, methylarsonous acid (MAs III ) and dimethylarsinous acid (DMAs III ), during AS3MT-catalyzed methylation of iAs. The formation of these metabolites activates iAs to unique forms that cause disease initiation and progression. Taken together, the current evidence suggests that methylation of iAs is a pathway for detoxification and for activation of the metalloid. Beyond this general understanding of the consequences of iAs methylation, many questions remain unanswered. Our knowledge of metabolic targets for MAs III and DMAs III in human cells and mechanisms for interactions between these arsenicals and targets is incomplete. Development of novel analytical methods for quantitation of MAs III and DMAs III in biological samples promises to address some of these gaps. Here, we summarize current knowledge of the enzymatic basis of MAs III and DMAs III formation, the toxic actions of these metabolites, and methods available for their detection and quantification in biomatrices. Major knowledge gaps and future research directions are also discussed.

Combined pollutions of arsenic (As) and copper (Cu) are common in water bodies near mines, non-ferrous metal smelting and power plants. This study investigated the effect of Cu(II) on the absorption and speciation of As(V) by microalgae. We compared the absorption and speciation of arsenic by microalgae (mainly Cyanophyta and Chlorophyta) when exposed to single As(V) with that exposed to As-Cu co-exposure in laboratory. The results showed that in the case of single As(V) exposure, the inhibitory effect of As(V) on microalgae was primarily affected by the exposure time, instead of the concentration of As(V) in the water solution. Compared with single As(V) exposure, the presence of Cu(II) under As-Cu co-exposure promoted the absorption and accumulation of As(V) by algae. The combination effect of As and Cu on algae was antagonistic instead of synergistic within the tolerance range of algae to them. In the presence of Cu(II), more monomethylarsonous acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA), which are volatile organic arsenic compounds, were produced in algae compared with the control. The finding that Cu(II) can mediate the absorption and speciation processes of arsenic in algae has significance in possible bioremediation of arsenic pollution in aquatic environment., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is an environmental diabetogen, but mechanisms underlying its diabetogenic effects are poorly understood. Exposures to arsenite (iAs III ) and its methylated metabolites, methylarsonite (MAs III ) and dimethylarsinite (DMAs III ), have been shown to inhibit glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in pancreatic β-cells and isolated pancreatic islets. GSIS is regulated by complex mechanisms. Increase in ATP production through metabolism of glucose and other substrates is the ultimate trigger for GSIS in β-cells. In the present study, we used metabolomics to identify metabolites and pathways perturbed in cultured INS-1 832/13 rat insulinoma cells and isolated murine pancreatic islets by exposures to iAs III , MAs III and DMAs III . We found that the exposures perturbed multiple metabolites, which were enriched primarily in the pathways of amino acid, carbohydrate, phospholipid and carnitine metabolism. However, the effects of arsenicals in INS-1 832/13 cells differed from those in the islets and were exposure specific with very few overlaps between the three arsenicals. In INS-1 832/13 cells, all three arsenicals decreased succinate, a metabolite of Krebs cycle, which provides substrates for ATP synthesis in mitochondria. Acetylcarnitine was decreased consistently by exposures to arsenicals in both the cells and the islets. Acetylcarnitine is usually found in equilibrium with acetyl-CoA, which is the central metabolite in the catabolism of macronutrients and the key substrate for Krebs cycle. It is also thought to play an antioxidant function in mitochondria. Thus, while each of the three trivalent arsenicals perturbed specific metabolic pathways, which may or may not be associated with GSIS, all three arsenicals appeared to impair mechanisms that support ATP production or antioxidant defense in mitochondria. These results suggest that impaired ATP production and/or mitochondrial dysfunction caused by oxidative stress may be the mechanisms underlying the inhibition of GSIS in β-cells exposed to trivalent arsenicals.

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs), a common drinking water and food contaminant, has been associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in population studies worldwide. Several mechanisms underlying the diabetogenic effects of iAs have been proposed through laboratory investigations. We have previously shown that exposure to arsenite (iAs(III)) or its methylated trivalent metabolites, methylarsonite (MAs(III)) and dimethylarsinite (DMAs(III)), inhibits glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in pancreatic islets, without significant effects on insulin expression or insulin content. The goal of the present study was to determine if iAs(III) and/or its metabolites inhibit Ca 2+ influx, an essential mechanism that regulates the release of insulin from β cells in response to glucose. We found that in vitro exposures for 48 h to non-cytotoxic concentrations of iAs(III), MAs(III), and DMAs(III) impaired Ca 2+ influx in isolated murine pancreatic islets stimulated with glucose. MAs(III) and DMAs(III) were more potent inhibitors of Ca 2+ influx than iAs(III). These arsenicals also inhibited Ca 2+ influx and GSIS in islets treated with depolarizing levels of potassium chloride in the absence of glucose. Treatment with Bay K8644, a Ca v 1.2 channel agonist, did not restore insulin secretion in arsenical-exposed islets. Tolbutamide, a K ATP channel blocker, prevented inhibition of insulin secretion in MAs(III)- and DMAs(III)-exposed islets, but only marginally in islets exposed to iAs(III). Our findings suggest that iAs(III), MAs(III), and DMAs(III) inhibit glucose-stimulated Ca 2+ influx in pancreatic islets, possibly by interfering with K ATP and/or Ca v 1.2 channel function. Notably, the mechanisms underlying inhibition of GSIS by iAs(III) may differ from those of its trivalent methylated metabolites.

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs), a contaminant of water and food supplies, is associated with many adverse health effects. A notable feature of iAs metabolism is sequential methylation reactions which produce mono- and di-methylated arsenicals that can contain arsenic in either the trivalent (III) or pentavalent (V) valence states. Because methylated arsenicals containing trivalent arsenic are more potent toxicants than their pentavalent counterparts, the ability to distinguish between the +3 and +5 valence states is a crucial property for physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models of arsenicals to possess if they are to be of use in risk assessment. Unfortunately, current analytic techniques for quantifying arsenicals in tissues disrupt the valence state; hence, pharmacokinetic studies in animals, used for model calibration, only reliably provide data on the sum of the +3 and +5 valence forms of a given metabolite. In this paper we show how mathematical modeling can be used to overcome this obstacle and present a PBPK model for the dimethylated metabolite of iAs, which exists as either dimethylarsinous acid, (CH 3 ) 2 As III OH (abbreviated DMA III ) or dimethylarsinic acid, (CH 3 ) 2 As V (O)OH (abbreviated DMA V ). The model distinguishes these two forms and sets a lower bound on how much of an organ's DMA burden is present in the more reactive and toxic trivalent valence state. We conjoin the PBPK model to a simple model for DMA III -induced oxidative stress in liver and use this extended model to predict cytotoxicity in liver in response to the high oral dose of DMA V . The model incorporates mechanistic details derived from in vitro studies and is iteratively calibrated with lumped-valence-state PK data for intravenous or oral dosing with DMA V . Model formulation leads us to predict that orally administered DMA V undergoes extensive reduction in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to the more toxic trivalent DMA III ., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Dimethylmonothioarsinical acid (DMMTA V ), a metabolite of arsenosugars (AsSug) and arsenolipids (AsLP), which are major organoarsenicals contained in seafoods, has been a focus of our attention due to its toxicity. It has been reported that the toxicity of DMMTA V differs according to the host cell type and that dimethylarsinous acid (DMA III ), which is a higher active metabolite of inorganic and organo arsenic compounds, may be the ultimate substance. To further elucidate the details of the mechanisms of DMMTA V , we carried out toxicological characterization by comparing DMMTA V and DMA III using HepaRG cells, which are terminally differentiated hepatic cells derived from a human hepatic progenitor cell line that retains many characteristics, e.g, primary human hepatocytes including the morphology and expression of key metabolic enzymes (P450 s and GSTs, etc.) and complete expression of all nuclear receptors. HepaRG cells were induced to undergo differentiation by DMSO, which result red in increased levels of metabolic enzymes such as P450 and GST, in non-differentiated cells the cellular toxicities of DMMTA V and DMA III were reduced and the induction of toxicity by DMMTA V was increased by GSH but not by DMA III . Both DMA III and DMMTA V induce apoptosis and increase caspase 3/7 activity. DMA III exposure increased the activity of caspase-9. On the contrary, DMMTA V exposure resulted in markedly elevated activity of caspase-8 as well as caspase-9. These results suggest there are differences between the signaling pathways of apoptosis in DMA III and DMMTA V and that between their active metabolites. Consequently, the ultimate metabolic substance of toxicity induction of DMMTA V may not only be DMA III , but may also be partly due to other metabolic substances produced through the activation mechanism by GSH., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1/ ABCC1 ) protects cells from arsenic (a proven human carcinogen) through the cellular efflux of arsenic triglutathione [As(GS) 3 ] and the diglutathione conjugate of monomethylarsonous acid [MMA(GS) 2 ]. Previously, differences in MRP1 phosphorylation (at Y920/S921) and N -glycosylation (at N19/N23) were associated with marked differences in As(GS) 3 transport kinetics between HEK293 and HeLa cell lines. In the current study, cell line differences in MRP1-mediated cellular protection and transport of other arsenic metabolites were explored. MRP1 expressed in HEK293 cells reduced the toxicity of the major urinary arsenic metabolite dimethylarsinic acid (DMA V ), and HEK-WT-MRP1-enriched vesicles transported DMA V with high apparent affinity and capacity ( K m 0.19 µ M, V max 342 pmol⋅mg -1 protein⋅min -1 ). This is the first report that MRP1 is capable of exporting DMA V , critical for preventing highly toxic dimethylarsinous acid formation. In contrast, DMA V transport was not detected using HeLa-WT-MRP1 membrane vesicles. MMA(GS) 2 transport by HeLa-WT-MRP1 vesicles had a greater than threefold higher V max compared with HEK-WT-MRP1 vesicles. Cell line differences in DMA V and MMA(GS) 2 transport were not explained by differences in phosphorylation at Y920/S921. DMA V did not inhibit, whereas MMA(GS) 2 was an uncompetitive inhibitor of As(GS) 3 transport, suggesting that DMA V and MMA(GS) 2 have nonidentical binding sites to As(GS) 3 on MRP1. Efflux of different arsenic metabolites by MRP1 is likely influenced by multiple factors, including cell and tissue type. This could have implications for the impact of MRP1 on both tissue-specific susceptibility to arsenic-induced disease and tumor sensitivity to arsenic-based therapeutics., (Copyright © 2018 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.)

Dimethylated thioarsenicals such as dimethylmonothioarsinic acid (DMMTA V ) and dimethyldithioarsinic acid (DMDTA V ), which are produced by the metabolic pathway of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA V ) thiolation, have been recently found in the environment as well as human organs. DMMTA V and DMDTA V can be quantified to determine the ecological effects of dimethylated thioarsenicals and their stability in environmental media. The synthesis method for these compounds is unstandardized, making replicating previous studies challenging. Furthermore, there is a lack of information about storage techniques, including storage of compounds without species transformation. Moreover, because only limited information about synthesis methods is available, there may be experimental difficulties in synthesizing standard chemicals and performing quantitative analysis. The protocol presented herein provides a practically modified synthesis method for the dimethylated thioarsenicals, DMMTA V and DMDTA V , and will help in the quantification of species separation analysis using high performance liquid chromatography in conjunction with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). The experimental steps of this procedure were modified by focusing on the preparation of chemical reagents, filtration methods, and storage.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has great potential as an alternative tool for arsenic speciation in biological matrices. SERS measurements have advantages over other techniques due to its ability to maintain the integrity of arsenic species and its minimal requirements for sample preparation. Up to now, very few Raman spectra of arsenic compounds have been reported. This is particularly true for thiolated arsenicals, which have recently been found to be widely present in humans. The lack of data for Raman spectra in arsenic speciation hampers the development of new tools using SERS. Herein, we report the results of a study combining the analysis of experimental Raman spectra with that obtained from density functional calculations for some important arsenic metabolites. The results were obtained with a hybrid functional B3LYP approach using different basis sets to calculate Raman spectra of the selected arsenicals. By comparing experimental and calculated spectra of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA V ), the basis set 6-311++G** was found to provide computational efficiency and precision in vibrational frequency prediction. The Raman frequencies for the rest of organoarsenicals were studied using this basis set, including monomethylarsonous acid (MMA III ), dimethylarsinous acid (DMA III ), dimethylmonothioarinic acid (DMMTA V ), dimethyldithioarsinic acid (DMDTA V ), S-(Dimethylarsenic) cysteine (DMA III (Cys)) and dimethylarsinous glutathione (DMA III GS). The results were compared with fingerprint Raman frequencies from As─O, As─C, and As─S obtained under different chemical environments. These fingerprint vibrational frequencies should prove useful in future measurements of different species of arsenic using SERS., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Growing evidence suggests that exposure to environmental contaminants contributes to the current diabetes epidemic. Inorganic arsenic (iAs), a drinking water and food contaminant, is one of the most widespread environmental diabetogens according to epidemiological studies. Several schemes have been proposed to explain the diabetogenic effects of iAs exposure; however, the exact mechanism remains unknown. We have shown that in vitro exposure to low concentrations of arsenite (iAs III ) or its trivalent methylated metabolites, methylarsonite (MAs III ) and dimethylarsinite (DMAs III ), inhibits glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) from isolated pancreatic islets, with little effect on insulin transcription or total insulin content. The goal of this study was to determine if exposure to trivalent arsenicals impairs mitochondrial metabolism, which plays a key role in the regulation of GSIS in β cells. We used a Seahorse extracellular flux analyzer to measure oxygen consumption rate (OCR), a proxy for mitochondrial metabolism, in cultured INS-1 832/13 β cells exposed to iAs III , MAs III , or DMAs III and stimulated with either glucose or pyruvate, a final product of glycolysis and a substrate for the Krebs cycle. We found that 24-h exposure to 2 μM iAs III or 0.375-0.5 μM MAs III inhibited OCR in both glucose- and pyruvate-stimulated β cells in a manner that closely paralleled GSIS inhibition. In contrast, 24-h exposure to DMAs III (up to 2 µM) had no effects on either OCR or GSIS. These results suggest that iAs III and MAs III may impair GSIS in β cells by inhibiting mitochondrial metabolism, and that at least one target of these arsenicals is pyruvate decarboxylation or downstream reactions.

Environmental exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) has been shown to disturb glucose homeostasis, leading to diabetes. Previous laboratory studies have suggested several mechanisms that may underlie the diabetogenic effects of iAs exposure, including (i) inhibition of insulin signaling (leading to insulin resistance) in glucose metabolizing peripheral tissues, (ii) inhibition of insulin secretion by pancreatic β cells, and (iii) dysregulation of the methylation or expression of genes involved in maintenance of glucose or insulin metabolism and function. Published studies have also shown that acute or chronic iAs exposures may result in depletion of hepatic glycogen stores. However, effects of iAs on pathways and mechanisms that regulate glycogen metabolism in the liver have never been studied. The present study examined glycogen metabolism in primary murine hepatocytes exposed in vitro to arsenite (iAs 3+ ) or its methylated metabolite, methylarsonite (MAs 3+ ). The results show that 4-h exposures to iAs 3+ and MAs 3+ at concentrations as low as 0.5 and 0.2 µM, respectively, decreased glycogen content in insulin-stimulated hepatocytes by inhibiting insulin-dependent activation of glycogen synthase (GS) and by inducing activity of glycogen phosphorylase (GP). Further investigation revealed that both iAs 3+ and MAs 3+ inhibit insulin-dependent phosphorylation of protein kinase B/Akt, one of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of GS and GP by insulin. Thus, inhibition of insulin signaling (i.e., insulin resistance) is likely responsible for the dysregulation of glycogen metabolism in hepatocytes exposed to iAs 3+ and MAs 3+ . This study provides novel information about the mechanisms by which iAs exposure impairs glucose homeostasis, pointing to hepatic metabolism of glycogen as one of the targets.

Microbial expression of genes for resistance to heavy metals and metalloids is usually transcriptionally regulated by the toxic ions themselves. Arsenic is a ubiquitous, naturally occurring toxic metalloid widely distributed in soil and groundwater. Microbes biotransform both arsenate (As(V)) and arsenite (As(III)) into more toxic methylated metabolites methylarsenite (MAs(III)) and dimethylarsenite (DMAs(III)). Environmental arsenic is sensed by members of the ArsR/SmtB family. The arsR gene is autoregulated and is typically part of an operon that contains other ars genes involved in arsenic detoxification. To date every identified ArsR is regulated by inorganic As(III). Here we described a novel ArsR from Shewanella putrefaciens selective for MAs(III). SpArsR orthologs control expression of two MAs(III) resistance genes, arsP that encodes the ArsP MAs(III) efflux permease, and arsH encoding the ArsH MAs(III) oxidase. SpArsR has two conserved cysteine residues, Cys101 and Cys102. Mutation of either resulted in loss of MAs(III) binding, indicating that they form an MAs(III) binding site. SpArsR can be converted into an As(III)-responsive repressor by introduction of an additional cysteine that allows for three-coordinate As(III) binding. Our results indicate that SpArsR evolved selectivity for MAs(III) over As(III) in order to control expression of genes for MAs(III) detoxification., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The associations between arsenic exposure, arsenic methylation, and the prevalence of skin lesions and hypertension are investigated. The results indicate that the HS (hypertension and skin lesions) group and the S (skin lesions) group have higher urinary concentrations of iAs (inorganic arsenic), MMA (monomethylarsonic acid), DMA (dimethylarsinous acid) and%MMA, and lower SMI (secondary arsenic methylation index) compared to the H (hypertension) and N (without both hypertension and skin lesions) groups. The arsenic content in water which caused H may be lower than that which caused HS and S. In addition, the odds ratios suggest that higher urinary concentrations of iAs and MMA, %iAs, %MMA and PMI elevate the prevalence of only hypertension and skin lesions, and both hypertension and skin lesions. However, higher%DMA and SMI, and lower%MMA increase the prevalence of both hypertension and skin lesions compared to that of only skin lesions. It can be concluded that skin lesions subjects have higher prevalence of hypertension. Hypertension subjects may have higher prevalence of skin lesions. Lower%DMA and SMI, higher%iAs, %MMA and PMI enhance the prevalence of only hypertension and skin lesions, and both hypertension and skin lesions. Moreover, iAs and MMA may have higher toxicity and lead to both hypertension and skin lesions than to only hypertension., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Arsenic (As) is a notoriously toxic pollutant of health concern worldwide with potential risk of cancer induction, but meanwhile it is used as medicines for the treatment of different conditions including hematological cancers. Arsenic can undergo extensive metabolism in biological systems, and both toxicological and therapeutic effects of arsenic compounds are closely related to their metabolism. Recent studies have identified methylated thioarsenicals as a new class of arsenic metabolites in biological systems after exposure of inorganic and organic arsenicals, including arsenite, dimethylarsinic acid (DMA V ), dimethylarsinous glutathione (DMA III GS), and arsenosugars. The increasing detection of thiolated arsenicals, including monomethylmonothioarsonic acid (MMMTA V ), dimethylmonothioarsinic acid (DMMTA V ) and its glutathione conjugate (DMMTA V GS), and dimethyldithioarsinic acid (DMDTA V ) suggests that thioarsenicals may be important metabolites and play important roles in arsenic toxicity and therapeutic effects. Here we summarized the reported occurrence of thioarsenicals in biological systems, the possible formation pathways of thioarsenicals, and their toxicity, and discussed the biological implications of thioarsenicals on arsenic metabolism, toxicity, and therapeutic effects., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Dimethylmonothioarsinic acid (DMMTA V ) is a highly toxic, thiolated analogue of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA V ). In comparison, a further thiolated analogue, dimethyldithioarsinic acid (DMDTA V ), and DMA V both exhibit lower toxicity. To understand the environmental conditions responsible for forming DMMTA V , the kinetics of DMA V thiolation are examined. The thiolation of DMA V is pH-dependent and consists of two consecutive first-order reactions under excess sulfide conditions. The first thiolation of DMA V to form DMMTA V is faster than the second one to DMDTA V . DMMTA V is therefore an intermediate. The first reaction is first-order in H 2 S at pH 6.0 and 20 °C; therefore, the overall reaction is second-order and the rate coefficient in this condition is 0.0780 M -1 s -1 . The rate coefficient significantly decreases at pH 8.0, indicating that H 2 S(aq) triggers the thiolation of DMA V . The second reaction rate is significantly decreased at pH 2.5; therefore, reaction under strongly acidic conditions leads to accumulation of highly toxic DMMTA V in the early stages of thiolation. The transformation of DMDTA V to DMMTA V is catalyzed in the presence of ferric iron. Formation of DMMTA V should be considered when assessing risk posed by arsenic under sulfidic or sulfate reducing conditions.

The occurrence of a large number of diverse arsenic species in the environment and in biological systems makes it important to compare their relative toxicity. The toxicity of arsenic species has been examined in various cell lines using different assays, making comparison difficult. We report real-time cell sensing of two human cell lines to examine the cytotoxicity of fourteen arsenic species: arsenite (As III ), monomethylarsonous acid (MMA III ) originating from the oxide and iodide forms, dimethylarsinous acid (DMA III ), dimethylarsinic glutathione (DMAG III ), phenylarsine oxide (PAO III ), arsenate (As V ), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA V ), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA V ), monomethyltrithioarsonate (MMTTA V ), dimethylmonothioarsinate (DMMTA V ), dimethyldithioarsinate (DMDTA V ), 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid (Roxarsone, Rox), and 4-aminobenzenearsenic acid (p-arsanilic acid, p-ASA). Cellular responses were measured in real time for 72hr in human lung (A549) and bladder (T24) cells. IC 50 values for the arsenicals were determined continuously over the exposure time, giving rise to IC 50 histograms and unique cell response profiles. Arsenic accumulation and speciation were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). On the basis of the 24-hr IC 50 values, the relative cytotoxicity of the tested arsenicals was in the following decreasing order: PAO III ≫MMA III ≥DMA III ≥DMAG III ≈DMMTA V ≥As III ≫MMTTA V >As V >DMDTA V >DMA V >MMA V ≥Rox≥p-ASA. Stepwise shapes of cell response profiles for DMA III , DMAG III , and DMMTA V coincided with the conversion of these arsenicals to the less toxic pentavalent DMA V . Dynamic monitoring of real-time cellular responses to fourteen arsenicals provided useful information for comparison of their relative cytotoxicity., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Thio-dimethylarsinic acid (thio-DMA(V)) is a human urinary metabolite of the class 1 human carcinogen inorganic arsenic as well as of arsenosugars. Thio-DMA(V) exerts strong cellular toxicity, whereas its toxic modes of action are not fully understood. For the first time, this study characterises the impact of a long-term (21days) in vitro incubation of thio-DMA(V) on the expression of selected genes related to cell death, stress response, epigenetics and DNA repair. The observed upregulation of DNMT1 might be a cellular compensation to counterregulate the in a very recent study observed massive global DNA hypomethylation after chronic thio-DMA(V) incubation. Moreover, our data suggest that chronic exposure towards subcytotoxic, pico- to nanomolar concentrations of thio-DMA(V) causes a stress response in human urothelial cells. The upregulation of genes encoding for proteins of DNA repair (Apex1, Lig1, XRCC1, DDB2, XPG, ATR) as well as damage response (GADD45A, GADD45G, Trp53) indicate a potential genotoxic risk emanating from thio-DMA(V) after long-term incubation., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

More than 0.3 million individuals are subject to chronic exposure to arsenic via their drinking water in Inner Mongolia, China. To determine arsenic methylation capacity profiles for such individuals, concentrations of urinary arsenic metabolites were measured for 548 subjects using high-performance liquid chromatography and a hydride generator combined with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Mean urinary concentrations of dimethylarsonic acid (DMA), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), inorganic arsenic (iAs), and total arsenic (TAs) were 200.50, 46.71, 52.96, and 300.17 μg/L, respectively. The %iAs, %DMA, and %MMA were 15.98, 69.72, and 14.29%. Mean urinary %iAs and %MMA were higher in males, while urinary %DMA was higher in females. There was a strong positive correlation between %iAs and %MMA, with negative correlations between %iAs and %DMA, and %iAs and %MMA. In addition, %iAs and %MMA were positively associated with total arsenic in drinking water (WAs), while %DMA was negatively related with WAs. Regression analysis indicated that the primary methylation index (PMI) and secondary methylation index (SMI) generally decreased with increasing WAs. Females had a higher arsenic methylation capacity compared to males. Younger subjects had lower primary arsenic methylation capacity. However, the secondary arsenic methylation capacity was hardly affected by age. Moreover, both primary and secondary arsenic methylation capacities were negatively related to WAs.

Dimethyldithioarsinic acid (DMDTA(V)), present in such intense sources as municipal landfill leachate, has drawn a great deal of attention due to its abundant occurrence and different aspect of toxicity. The hydrosulfide (HS(-)) concentration in leachate was studied as a major variable affecting the formation of DMDTA(V). To this end, the HPLC-ICPMS system equipped with the reversed-phase C18 column was used to determine DMDTA(V). Simulated landfill leachates (SLLs) were prepared to cover a mature landfill condition with the addition of sodium sulfate and sulfide at varying concentrations in the presence of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)). The concentration of sodium sulfide added in the SLLs generally exhibited a strong positive correlation with the concentration of DMDTA(V). As such, the formation of DMDTA(V) in the SLLs is demonstrated to be controlled by the interactive relationship between DMA(V) and the HS(-).

The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the metabolic processing of dimethylmonothioarsinic acid (DMMTA(V)), which is a metabolite of inorganic arsenic and has received a great deal of attention recently due to its high toxicity. The metabolites produced from an in vitro reaction with GSH were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometer (HPLC-TOFMS), HPLC with a photodiode array detector (PDA), and also gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC with a flame photometric detector (FPD). The reaction of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)) with GSH did not generate DMA(V)-SG but did generate dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) or DMA(III)-SG. On the contrary, we confirmed that the reaction of DMMTA(V) with GSH directly produced the stable complex of DMMTA(V)-SG without reduction through a trivalent dimethylated arsenic such as DMA(III) and DMA(III)-SG. Furthermore, the present study suggests the production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and dimethylmercaptoarsine (DMA(III)-SH), a trivalent dimethylated arsenic, as well as DMA(III) and DMA(III)-SG in the decomposition process of DMMTA(V)-SG. These results indicate that the toxicity of DMMTA(V) depends not only on the formation of DMA(III) but also on at least those of H2S and DMA(III)-SH., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Arsenic is a highly toxic element that pollutes groundwater, being a major environmental problem worldwide, especially in the Bengal Basin. About 40% of patients in our outpatient clinics come from those countries, and there is no published data about their arsenic exposure. This study compares arsenic exposure between immigrant and native children. A total of 114 children (57 natives, 57 immigrants), aged 2 months to 16 years, were recruited and sociodemographic and environmental exposure data were recorded. Total arsenic in urine, hair, and nails and arsenic-speciated compounds in urine were determined. We did not find significant differences in total and inorganic arsenic levels in urine and hair, but in organic arsenic monomethylarsenic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA) in urine and in total arsenic in nails. However, these values were not in the toxic range. There were significant differences between longer than 5 years exposure and less than 5 years exposure (consumption of water from tube wells), with respect to inorganic and organic MMA arsenic in urine and total arsenic in nails. There was partial correlation between the duration of exposure and inorganic arsenic levels in urine. Immigrant children have higher arsenic levels than native children, but they are not toxic. At present, there is no need for specific arsenic screening or follow-up in immigrant children recently arrived in Spain from exposure high-risk countries.

Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) is one of the most effective therapeutic agents used for patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). The probable explanation for As2O3-induced cell differentiation is the direct targeting of PML-RARα oncoprotein by As2O3, which results in initiation of PML-RARα degradation. However, after injection, As2O3 is rapidly methylated in body to different intermediate metabolites such as trivalent monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)) and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)), therefore, it remains unknown that which arsenic specie is actually responsible for the therapeutic effects against APL. Here we have shown the role of As2O3 (as iAs(III)) and its intermediate metabolites (i.e., MMA(III)/DMA(III)) in NB4 cells. Inorganic iAs(III) predominantly showed induction of cell differentiation, while MMA(III) and DMA(III) specifically showed to induce mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum-mediated apoptosis, respectively. On the other hand, in contrast to iAs(III), MMA(III) showed stronger binding affinity for ring domain of PML recombinant protein, however, could not induce PML protein SUMOylation and ubiquitin/proteasome degradation. In summary, our results suggest that the binding of arsenicals to the ring domain of PML proteins is not associated with the degradation of PML-RARα fusion protein. Moreover, methylated arsenicals can efficiently lead to cellular apoptosis, however, they are incapable of inducing NB4 cell differentiation.

Exposure to arsenic in food and drinking water has been correlated with adverse developmental outcomes, such as reductions in birth weight and neurological deficits. Additionally, studies have shown that arsenic suppresses sensory neuron formation and skeletal muscle myogenesis, although the reason why arsenic targets both of these cell types in unclear. Thus, P19 mouse embryonic stem cells were used to investigate the mechanisms by which arsenic could inhibit cellular differentiation. P19 cells were exposed to 0, 0.1, or 0.5 μM sodium arsenite and induced to form embryoid bodies over a period of 5 days. The expression of transcription factors necessary to form neural plate border specifier (NPBS) cells, neural crest cells and their progenitors, and myocytes and their progenitors were examined. Early during differentiation, arsenic significantly reduced the transcript and protein expression of Msx1 and Pax3, both needed for NPBS cell formation. Arsenic also significantly reduced the protein expression of Sox 10, needed for neural crest progenitor cell production, by 31-50%, and downregulated the protein and mRNA levels of NeuroD1, needed for neural crest cell differentiation, in a time- and dose-dependent manner. While the overall protein expression of transcription factors in the skeletal muscle lineage was not changed, arsenic did alter their nuclear localization. MyoD nuclear translocation was significantly reduced on days 2-5 between 15 and 70%. At a 10-fold lower concentration, monomethylarsonous acid (MMA III) appeared to be just as potent as inorganic arsenic at reducing the mRNA levels Pax3 (79% vs84%), Sox10 (49% vs 65%), and Msx1 (56% vs 56%). Dimethylarsinous acid (DMA III) also reduced protein and transcript expression, but the changes were less dramatic than those with MMA or arsenite. All three arsenic species reduced the nuclear localization of MyoD and NeuroD1 in a similar manner. The early changes in the differentiation of neural plate border specifier cells may provide a mechanism for arsenic to suppress both neurogenesis and myogenesis.

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (As) is associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Ingested inorganic As is transformed within the gastrointestinal tract and can give rise to more toxic species such as monomethylarsonous acid [MMA(III)] and dimethylarsinous acid [DMA(III)]. Thus, the intestinal epithelium comes into contact with toxic arsenical species, and the effects of such exposure upon epithelial function are not clear. The present study has evaluated the effect of 1 µM arsenite [As(III)], 0.1 µM MMA(III) and 1 µM DMA(III) upon the release of cytokines [interleukin-6 (IL6), IL8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)], using a compartmentalized co-culture model with differentiated Caco-2 cells in the apical compartment and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the basolateral compartment. In addition, the combined effect of arsenical species and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), both added into the apical compartment, has been analyzed. The results indicate that exposure to the arsenical forms induces a proinflammatory response. An increase in cytokine secretion into the basolateral compartment was observed, particularly as regards TNFα (up to 1,600 %). The cytokine levels on the apical side also increased, though to a lesser extent. As/LPS co-exposure significantly affected the proinflammatory response as compared to treatment with As alone. Treatment with DMA(III) and As/LPS co-exposure increased the permeability of the intestinal monolayer. In addition, As/LPS treatments enhanced As(III) and MMA(III) transport through the intestinal monolayer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has concluded that dimethylarsinic acid [(CH3)2AsO(OH), DMA(V)], a main metabolite of inorganic arsenic, is responsible for carcinogenesis in urinary bladder and lung in rodents, and various modes of carcinogenic action have been proposed. One theory concerning the mode of action is that the biotransformation of dimethylarsinous acid [(CH3)2AsOH, DMA(III)] from DMA(V) plays an important role in the carcinogenesis by way of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Furthermore, dimethylmonothioarsinic acid [(CH3)2AsS(OH), DMMTA(V)], a metabolite of DMA(V), has also been noted because of its higher toxicity. However, the metabolic mechanisms of formation and disappearance of DMA(III) and DMMTA(V), and their toxicity are not fully understood. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to clarify the mechanism of metabolic formation of DMMTA(V) and DMA(V) from DMA(III). The in vitro transformation of arsenicals by treatment with liver homogenate from rodents and sulfur transferase was detected by HPLC-ICP-MS and HPLC-tandem MS. DMMTA(V) is produced from DMA(III) but not DMA(V) by cellular fractions from mouse liver homogenates and by rhodanese from bovine liver in the presence of thiosulfate, a sulfur donor. Not only DMMTA(V) thus produced but also DMA(III) are re-converted into DMA(V) by an in vitro addition of S9 mix. These findings indicate that the metabolic process not only of DMA(III) to DMA(V) or DMMTA(V) but also of DMMTA(V) to DMA(V) consists of a complicated mode of interaction between monooxygenase including cytochrome P450 (CYP) and/or sulfur transferase., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Arsenic is a known carcinogen; however, there is no information on the toxic effects of inorganic arsenic and its intermediate metabolites, monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)) and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)), during the differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells into cardiomyocytes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of arsenic compounds on ES cell differentiation into cardiomyocytes in vitro and to predict the associated toxic effects. Although iAs(III) is known to be toxic, here we found that iAs(III) and DMA(III) did not influence ES cellular differentiation, whereas MMA(III) inhibited ES cell differentiation into cardiomyocytes, suggesting that MMA(III) has adverse effects on embryonic stem cells.

Arsenic (III) methyltransferase (AS3MT) is a cysteine (Cys)-rich enzyme that catalyzes the biomethylation of arsenic. To investigate how these crucial Cys residues promote catalysis, we used matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) to analyze Cys residues in recombinant human arsenic (III) methyltransferase (hAS3MT). We detected two disulfide bonds, Cys250-Cys32 and Cys368-Cys369, in hAS3MT. The Cys250-Cys32 disulfide bond was reduced by glutathione (GSH) or other disulfide bond reductants before the enzymatic methylation of arsenite (iAs3+). In addition to exposing residues around the active sites, cleavage of the Cys250-Cys32 pair modulated the conformation of hAS3MT. This adjustment may stabilize the binding of S-Adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) and favor iAs3+ binding to hAS3MT. Additionally, we observed the intermediate of Cys250-S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy), suggesting that Cys250 is involved in the transmethylation. In recovery experiments, we confirmed that trivalent arsenicals were substrates for hAS3MT, methylation of arsenic occurred on the enzyme, and an intramolecular disulfide bond might be formed after iAs3+ was methylated to dimethylarsinous acid (DMA3+). In this work, we clarified both the functional roles of GSH and the crucial Cys residues in iAs3+ methylation catalyzed by hAS3MT.

Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) has remarkable therapeutic efficacy against leukemia. However, after As2O3 biotransformation, the role of arsenic metabolites in the clinical efficacy against leukemia still needs to be elucidated. Therefore, to explore the contribution of trivalent methylated arsenicals in the therapeutic effects, we investigated and compared the effects of arsenite (iAs(III)), monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)) and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) on HL-60 cells. Methylated arsenic species MMA(III) and DMA(III) showed potentially reduced cell survival with IC50 values of 3 and 2 μM, respectively. We found that methylated metabolites caused apoptosis through oxidative stress and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, we found that the caspase-9 and -3 were markedly activated by exposure to methylated metabolites, with cleavage of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP). Conversely, cellular apoptosis, generation of ROS, activation of caspase-3, -9 as well as PARP cleavage were significantly attenuated by pretreatment with an antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine (NAC). DNA damage was also markedly observed in HL-60 cells exposed to either MMA(III) or DMA(III), while iAs(III) did not show any relevant effects in HL-60 cells. Likewise, phosphorylation of the histone H2A variant (γ-H2AX), a biomarker of DNA damage, significantly occurred in cellular nuclei following exposure to two methylated species, which was reduced in the presence of NAC, suggesting that the induction of DNA damage was predominantly caused by the two metabolites via oxidative stress. In conclusion, we suggest that arsenic intermediate metabolites; MMA(III) and DMA(III) might prove to be of clinical relevance in future as such approaches may help in the treatment of leukemia and other types of cancers.

Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are exposed to unacceptable levels of arsenic in drinking water. This is a public health crisis because arsenic is a Group I (proven) human carcinogen. Human cells methylate arsenic to monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)), dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)). Although the liver is the predominant site for arsenic methylation, elimination occurs mostly in urine. The protein(s) responsible for transport of arsenic from the liver (into blood), ultimately for urinary elimination, are unknown. Human multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1/ABCC1) and MRP2 (ABCC2) are established arsenic efflux pumps, but unlike the related MRP4 (ABCC4) are not present at the basolateral membrane of hepatocytes. MRP4 is also found at the apical membrane of renal proximal tubule cells, making it an ideal candidate for urinary arsenic elimination. In the current study, human MRP4 expressed in HEK293 cells reduced the cytotoxicity and cellular accumulation of arsenate, MMA(III), MMA(V), DMA(III), and DMA(V) while two other hepatic basolateral MRPs (MRP3 and MRP5) did not. Transport studies with MRP4-enriched membrane vesicles revealed that the diglutathione conjugate of MMA(III), monomethylarsenic diglutathione [MMA(GS)(2)], and DMA(V) were the transported species. MMA(GS)(2) and DMA(V) transport was osmotically sensitive, allosteric (Hill coefficients of 1.4 ± 0.2 and 2.9 ± 1.2, respectively), and high affinity (K0.5 of 0.70 ± 0.16 and 0.22 ± 0.15 μM, respectively). DMA(V) transport was pH-dependent, with highest affinity and capacity at pH 5.5. These results suggest that human MRP4 could be a major player in the elimination of arsenic., (Copyright © 2014 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.)

Saliva, an easily accessible biofluid, is validated as biomarker of arsenic (As) exposure in several villages of West Bengal, India. Pentavalent arsenic [As(V)] was found to be the predominant species in saliva, with the amount of inorganic As [As(V) and trivalent form, As(III)] being more than half of the total As in the samples. Significant association was found between total daily ingestion of As and As(V) (r = 0.59; p = 0.000), As(III) (r = 0.60; p = 0.000), dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(V)) (r = 0.40; p = 0.000), and monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(V)) (r = 0.44; p = 0.000), implying that these species have mainly been derived from the methylation of the inorganic As in the water that study participants drank and the food they ate. Analysis of confounding effects of age, sex, smoking, body mass index and the prevalence of skin lesion suggests that women and controls with no skin lesion had a higher capacity to methylate the ingested As compared to the rest of the population. Thus, our study demonstrates that As species in saliva can be an useful tool to predict the individual susceptibility where higher As exposure and a lower methylation capacity are implicated in the development of As-induced health effects.

Arsenic is one of the most environmentally significant pollutants and a great global health concern. Although a growing body of evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate the mechanism of arsenic toxicity, the exact mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we examine the capacity of trivalent arsenic species arsenous acid (iAs(III)), monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)), and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) to generate ROS through a theoretical analysis of their structures, redox properties, and their reactivities to various ROS using a density functional theory (DFT) approach at the B3LYP/6-31+G**//B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory and by employing electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin trapping studies using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) as a spin trap. Results show that the oxidized forms (As(IV)) are structurally more stable compared to the reduced forms (As(II)) that impart elongated As-O bonds leading to the formation of As(III) and hydroxide anion. Enthalpies of one-electron reduction and oxidation indicate that increasing the degree of methylation makes it harder for As(III) to be reduced but easier to be oxidized. The order of increasing favorability for arsenical activation by ROS is O2 < O2(•-) < HO(•), and the oxidation of DMA(III) to DMA(V) is highly exoergic in multiple redox pathways with concomitant generation of radicals. This is followed by MMA(III) and by iAs(III) being the least favorable. Spin trapping studies showed a higher propensity for methylated arsenicals to generate radicals than iAs(III) upon treatment with H2O2. However, in the presence of Fe(II,III), all showed radical generation where MMA(III) gave predominantly C-centered adducts, while acidified iAs (III) and DMA(III) gave primarily HO-adducts, and their formation was affected in the presence of SOD suggesting a As(III)-OO/OOH radical intermediate. Therefore, our results suggest a basis for the increased redox activity of methylated arsenicals that can be applied to the observed trends in arsenic methylation and toxicity in biological systems.

In our previous work, we found that trivalent dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) have high affinity binding to cysteine residue 13 of rat hemoglobin. However, it is still unknown why arsenic intermediate metabolite DMA(III) has high binding affinity for Cysl3 but not for other cysteine residues 93, 140, 111 and 125. In order to better understand the molecular mechanism of DMA(III) with rat hemoglobin, we have done current study. So, SD rats were divided into control and arsenic-treated groups randomly. Arsenic species in lysate of red blood cells were analyzed by HPLC-ICP-MS, and then determined by a hybrid quadrupole TOF MS. In addition, trivalent DMA(III) binds to different cysteine residues in rat hemoglobin alpha and beta chains were also simulated by Molecular Docking. Only Cys13 in alpha chain is able to bind to DMA(III) from the experiment results. Cys13 of alpha chain in rat hemoglobin is a specific binding site for DMA(III), and we found that amino acids compose pockets structure and surround Cys13 (but not other cysteine residues), make DMA(III) much easy to bind cysteine 13. Taken together, the DMA(III) specific binding to Cys13 is related to spatial structure of Cys13.

Thio-dimethylarsinic acid (thio-DMA(V)) has recently been identified as human metabolite after exposure toward both the human carcinogen inorganic arsenic and arsenosugars, which are the major arsenical constituents of marine algae. This study aims to get further insight in the toxic modes of action of thio-DMA(V) in cultured human urothelial cells. Among others effects of thio-DMA(V) on eight cell death related endpoints, cell cycle distribution, genotoxicity, cellular bioavailability as well as for the first time its impact on DNA damage induced poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation were investigated and compared to effects induced by arsenite. The data indicate that thio-DMA(V) exerts its cellular toxicity in a similar or even lower concentration range, however most likely via different mechanisms, than arsenite. Most interestingly, thio-DMA(V) decreased damage-induced cellular poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation by 35,000-fold lower concentrations than arsenite. The inhibition of this essential DNA-damage induced and DNA-repair related signaling reaction might contribute to inorganic arsenic induced toxicity, at least in the bladder. Therefore, and also because thio-DMA(V) is to date by far the most toxic human metabolite identified after arsenosugar intake, thio-DMA(V) should contemporary be fully (also in vivo) toxicologically characterized, to assess risks to human health related to inorganic arsenic but especially arsenosugar dietary intake., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Chronic arsenic (As) toxicity in humans has been documented in many countries where exposure mostly occurs through drinking water. The As immunotoxic effects have been demonstrated in animal models as well as in humans. The studies of the immunotoxicity of As have centered on organs related to immune response or target organs, with few data being available at intestinal level. The present study has evaluated the changes in the expression and release of cytokines in Caco-2 cells, widely used as an intestinal epithelial model. Differentiated cells were exposed to 1 μM of As(III), 0.1 μM of monomethylarsonous acid [MMA(III)] and 1 μM of dimethylarsinous acid [DMA(III)] during 2, 4, 6 and 24 h. Additionally, the effect of As coexposure with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 ng/mL) has been evaluated. The results show trivalent species to induce increases in the expression and release of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), IL6, IL8 - the magnitude and time of response being different for each As species. The response of greatest magnitude corresponds to DMA(III), followed by As(III), while MMA(III) generates a limited response. Furthermore, the presence of LPS in the co-exposed cells could affect the expression and secretion of cytokines compared with individual exposure to arsenicals, especially for As(III)/LPS and DMA(III)/LPS., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a known human carcinogen at high exposures, increasing the incidences of urinary bladder, skin, and lung cancers. In most mammalian species, ingested iAs is excreted mainly through urine primarily as dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)). In wild-type (WT) mice, iAs, DMA(V), and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) exposures induce formation of intramitochondrial urothelial inclusions. Arsenite (iAs(III)) also induced intranuclear inclusions in arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase knockout (As3mt KO) mice. The arsenic-induced formation of inclusions in the mouse urothelium was dose and time dependent. The inclusions do not occur in iAs-treated rats and do not appear to be related to arsenic-induced urothelial cytotoxicity. Similar inclusions in exfoliated urothelial cells from humans exposed to iAs have been incorrectly identified as micronuclei. We have characterized the urothelial inclusions using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), DNA-specific 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), and non-DNA-specific Giemsa staining and determined the arsenical content. The mouse inclusions stained with Giemsa but not with the DAPI stain. Analysis of urothelial mitochondrial- and nuclear-enriched fractions isolated from WT (C57BL/6) and As3mt KO mice exposed to arsenate (iAs(V)) for 4 weeks showed higher levels of iAs(V) in the treated groups. iAs(III) was the major arsenical present in the enriched nuclear fraction from iAs(V)-treated As3mt KO mice. In conclusion, the urothelial cell inclusions induced by arsenicals appear to serve as a detoxifying sequestration mechanism similar to other metals, and they do not represent micronuclei.

Objective: To study the arsenic distribution, speciation, its effects on the balance of other elements and the DNA damage by subchronic arsenite exposure in mice., Methods: The 8-week-old C57BL/6N mice were matched by weight and divided into control group and supplementation group, which were given 0 or 10 microg/ml of sodium arsenite in the drinking water, and continuous exposed for 6 months., Results: Arsenic was found in various tissues and organs. The highest ones were in the kidney, lung and liver, reached (563.9 +/- 222.5), (458.6 +/- 191.0) and (279.8 +/- 81.2) ng/g, respectively while the lowest in the blood and brain, reached (82.2 +/- 26.7) ng/ml and (101.8 +/- 30.1) ng/g, respectively. Arsenic exists mainly in the form of dimethylarsinous acid (DMA). Compared to the control group, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between arsenic and chromium, copper, zinc, selenium, lead in some organs of arsenic exposed group, but not cadmium. Furthermore, the 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) level of the exposed group was (149.1 +/- 1.0) ng/ml, which was significantly higher than the control group of (76.4 +/- 27.9) ng/ml., Conclusion: Arsenic accumulated in various tissues and organs mainly in the form of DMA, which affected the balance of chromium, copper, zinc, selenium and lead in the body, and led to DNA damage after subchronic exposure.

Whereas inorganic arsenic is classified as a human carcinogen, risks to human health related to the presence of arsenosugars in marine food are still unclear. Since studies indicate that human inorganic arsenic metabolites contribute to inorganic arsenic induced carcinogenicity, a risk assessment for arsenosugars should also include a toxicological characterization of their respective metabolites. Here we assessed intestinal bioavailability of the human arsenosugar metabolites oxo-DMAA(V), thio-DMAA(V), oxo-DMAE(V), thio-DMAE(V) and thio-DMA(V) in relation to arsenite in the Caco-2 intestinal barrier model. Whereas arsenite and thio-DMA(V) caused barrier disruption at concentrations ≥10 μM, all other metabolites did not cause a barrier leakage, even when applied at 50 times higher concentrations than arsenite and thio-DMA(V). The transfer studies point to a strong intestinal bioavailability of thio-DMA(V) and thio-DMAE(V), whereas oxo-DMAA(V), thio-DMAA(V) and oxo-DMAE(V) passed the in vitro intestinal barrier only to a very small extent. Detailed influx and efflux studies indicate that arsenite and thio-DMA(V) cross the intestinal barrier most likely by passive diffusion (paracellular) and facilitated (transcellular) transport. LC-ICP-QMS based arsenic speciation studies during the transfer experiments demonstrate transfer of thio-DMA(V) itself across the intestinal barrier and suggest metabolism of thio-DMA(V) using the in vitro intestinal barrier model to its oxygen-analogue DMA(V). In the case of arsenite no metabolism was observed. In summary the two arsenosugar metabolites thio-DMA(V) and thio-DMAE(V) showed intestinal bioavailability similar to that of arsenite, and about 10-fold higher than that reported for arsenosugars (Leffers et al., Mol. Nutr. Food Res., 2013, DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201200821) in the same in vitro model. Thus, a presystemic metabolism of arsenosugars might strongly impact arsenic intestinal bioavailability after arsenosugar intake and should therefore be considered when assessing the risks to human health related to the consumption of arsenosugar-containing food.

Scope: In their recently published Scientific Opinion on Arsenic in Food, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that a risk assessment for arsenosugars is currently not possible, largely because of the lack of relevant toxicological data. To address this issue, we carried out a toxicological in vitro characterization of two arsenosugars and six arsenosugar metabolites., Methods and Results: The highly pure synthesized arsenosugars, DMA(V) -sugar-glycerol and DMA(V) -sugar-sulfate, investigated in this study, as well as four metabolites, oxo-dimethylarsenoacetic acid (oxo-DMAA(V) ), oxo-dimethylarsenoethanol (oxo-DMAE(V) ), thio-DMAA(V) and thio-DMAE(V) , exerted neither cytotoxicity nor genotoxicity up to 500 μM exposure in cultured human bladder cells. However, two arsenosugar metabolites, namely dimethyl-arsinic acid (DMA(V) ) and thio-dimethylarsinic acid (thio-DMA(V) ), were toxic to the cells; thio-DMA(V) was even slightly more cytotoxic than arsenite. Additionally, intestinal bioavailability of the arsenosugars was assessed applying the Caco-2 intestinal barrier model. The observed low, but significant transfer rates of the arsenosugars across the barrier model provide further evidence that arsenosugars are intestinally bioavailable., Conclusion: In a cellular system that metabolizes arsenosugars, cellular toxicity likely arises. Thus, in strong contrast to arsenobetaine, arsenosugars cannot be categorized as nontoxic for humans and a risk to human health cannot be excluded., (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Dimethylarsinic acid (DMAs(V)), the major urinary metabolite of inorganic arsenic, is weakly cytotoxic, whereas its reduced form, dimethylarsinous acid (DMAs(III)), is highly toxic. Although glutathione S-transferase omega 1 (GSTO1) and arsenic methyltransferase have been shown or thought to catalyze DMAs(V) reduction, their role in DMAs(V) reduction in vivo, or in cell extracts is uncertain. Therefore, the reduction of DMAs(V) to DMAs(III) in rats and in rat liver cytosol was studied to better understand its mechanism. To assess DMAs(V) reduction in rats, a novel procedure was devised based on following the accumulation of red blood cell (RBC)-bound dimethylarsenic (DMAs), which represents DMAs(III), in the blood of DMAs(V)-injected anesthetized rats. These studies indicated that rats reduced DMAs(V) to DMAs(III) to a significant extent, as in 90 min 31% of the injected 50 μmol/kg DMAs(V) dose was converted to DMAs(III) that was sequestered by the circulating erythrocytes. Pretreatment of rats with glutathione (GSH) depletors (phorone or BSO) delayed the elimination of DMAs(V) and the accumulation of RBC-bound DMAs, whereas the indirect methyltransferase inhibitor periodate-oxidized adenosine was without effect. Assessment of DMAs(V)-reducing activity of rat liver cytosol revealed that reduction of DMAs(V) required cytosolic protein and GSH and was inhibited by thiol reagents, GSSG and dehydroascorbate. Although thioredoxin reductase (TRR) inhibitors (aurothioglucose and Sb(III)) inhibited cytosolic DMAs(V) reduction, recombinant rat TRR plus NADPH, alone or when added to the cytosol, failed to support DMAs(V) reduction. On ultrafiltration of the cytosol through a 3 kDa filter, the reducing activity in the retentate was lost but was largely restored by NADPH. Such experiments also suggested that the reducing enzyme was larger than 100 kDa and was not GSTO1. In summary, reduction of DMAs(V) to the highly toxic DMAs(III) in rats and rat liver cytosol is a GSH-dependent enzymatic process, yet its mechanism remains uncertain.

Inorganic arsenic is a well-documented, exposure relevant human carcinogen. A promising starting point to further understand the mechanisms behind inorganic arsenic carcinogenicity might be a formation of reactive, highly toxic metabolites during human arsenic metabolism. This study characterises the toxicity of recently identified S-containing arsenic metabolites in cultured human A549 lung adenocarcinoma epithelium cells. In direct comparison to arsenite, thio-dimethylarsinic acid (thio-DMA(V)) and dimethylarsinic glutathione (DMAG) exerted a 5- to 20-fold stronger cytotoxicity and showed a 2- to 20-fold higher cellular bioavailability, respectively. All three arsenicals disturbed cell cycle progression at cytotoxic concentrations, but failed to increase the level of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) in healthy A549 cells. However, a strong disturbance of the oxidative defense system was observed after incubation with absolutely sub-cytotoxic, pico- to nanomolar concentrations of arsenite and thio-DMA(V), respectively. Thus, both GSH and GSSG levels were significantly decreased by up to 40%. Accordingly, RONS levels of oxidatively (H2O2) stressed cells were strongly increased by the arsenicals. Since in vivo RONS are permanently endogenously and exogenously produced, this boost of the existing oxidative stress by arsenite and thio-DMA(V) might contribute to the process of inorganic arsenic induced carcinogenicity., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) is carcinogenic to the human urinary bladder. It produces urothelial cytotoxicity and proliferation in rats and mice. DMA(V), a major methylated urinary metabolite of iAs, is a rat bladder carcinogen, but without effects on the mouse urothelium. DMA(III) was shown to be the likely urinary metabolite of DMA(V) inducing urothelial changes and is also postulated to be one of the active metabolites of iAs. To evaluate potential DMA(III)-induced urothelial effects, it was administered to As3mt knockout mice which cannot methylate arsenicals. Female C57BL/6 wild type and As3mt knockout mice (10/group) were administered DMA(III), 77.3ppm in water for four weeks. Urothelial effects were evaluated by light and scanning electron microscopy (EM) and immunohistochemical detection of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation. EM findings were rated 1-5, with higher rating indicating greater extent of cytotoxicity visualized. DMA(III) significantly increased the BrdU labeling index, a ratio of BrdU labeled cells to non-labeled cells, in the treated knockout group compared to control and wild type treated groups. DMA(III) induced simple hyperplasia in more knockout mice (4/10) compared to wild type mice (2/10). All treated knockout mice had more and larger intracytoplasmic granules compared to the treated wild type mice. Changes in EM classification were not significant. In conclusion, DMA(III) induces urothelial toxicity and regenerative hyperplasia in mice and most likely plays a role in inorganic arsenic-induced urothelial changes. However, DMA(V) does not induce hyperplasia in mice, suggesting that urinary concentrations of DMA(III) do not reach cytotoxic levels in DMA(V)-treated mice., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (As3mt) plays a central role in the enzymatically catalyzed conversion of inorganic arsenic into methylated metabolites. Most studies of the metabolism and disposition of arsenicals following exposure to inorganic arsenic focus on the formation and fate of methylated oxyarsenicals. However, recent research has shown methylated thioarsenicals to be another important class of metabolites of inorganic arsenic. Here, we report on the presence of methylated oxy- and thioarsenicals in urine and liver from wild-type mice that efficiently methylate inorganic arsenic and from As3mt knockout mice that lack arsenic methyltransferase activity. Following a single oral dose of 0.5 mg of arsenic as arsenate/kg body weight, urine from wild-type mice contained methylated oxyarsenicals and unknown arsenicals. Further analysis identified one unknown arsenical in urine of wild-type mice as dimethylmonothioarsinic acid. In addition, another unknown arsenical in urine of wild-type mice that occurred in the urine of about 20 % of arsenate-treated mice. The presence of low levels of methylated arsenicals in liver digests of As3mt knockout mice may reflect the activity of other methyltransferases or the absorption of methylated arsenicals formed by the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract. The lack of methylated thioarsenicals in urine of As3mt knockout mice suggests a close link between the processes that form methylated oxy- and thioarsenicals.

Arsenic binding to biomolecules is considered one of the major toxic mechanisms, which may also be related to the carcinogenic risks of arsenic in humans. At the same time, arsenic is also known to activate the phosphorylation-dependent signaling pathways including the epidermal growth factor receptor, the mitogen-activated protein kinase and insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 pathways. These signaling pathways originate at the level of receptor tyrosine kinases whose phosphorylation status is regulated by opposing protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) activity. Reversible tyrosine phosphorylation, which is governed by the balanced action of protein tyrosine kinases and phosphatases, regulates important signaling pathways that are involved in the control of cell proliferation, adhesion and migration. In the present study, we have focused on the interaction of cellular PTPs with toxic trivalent arsenite (iAs(III)) and its intermediate metabolites such as monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)) and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) in vitro, and then determined the arsenic binding site in PTP by the use of recombinant PTPs (e.g., PTP1B and CD45). Interestingly, the activities of PTP1B (cytoplasm-form) or CD45 (receptor-linked form) were observed to be strongly inhibited by both methylated metabolites (i.e., MMA(III) and DMA(III)) but not by iAs(III). Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has clearly confirmed that the organic intermediate, DMA(III) directly bound to the active site cysteine residue of PTP1B (e.g., Cys215), resulting in inhibition of enzyme activity. These results suggest that arsenic exposure may disturb the cellular signaling pathways through PTP inactivation., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Arsenic is known to be a human carcinogen as well as one of the most effective drugs for treatment of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. The intermediate metabolites of arsenic, monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)) and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)), are formed by methylation reactions, and they are more reactive and toxic than the inorganic precursor arsenite (iAs(III)); however, the detailed mechanism of toxicity is poorly understood. Here, we studied the effects of three arsenic compounds (i.e., iAs(III), MMA(III), and DMA(III)) on mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) and release of apoptotic cytochrome c (Cyt c) after incubating with rat liver mitochondria. Inorganic iAs(III) had no effect on mitochondrial swelling even at higher concentrations ranging up to 100 μM, but swelling was significantly induced in the presence of Ca(2+). Additionally, mitochondrial swelling was strongly induced by exposure to the methylated forms of MMA(III) and DMA(III) in a dose-dependent manner in the absence of Ca(2+), suggesting that the methylated forms may have potent effects on cellular mitochondria. Although mitochondrial swelling was completely inhibited in the presence of cyclosporin-A (an inhibitor of mitochondrial permeability transition) or ruthenium red (an inhibitor of Ca(2+) uniporter) following exposure to methylated arsenicals, the release of apoptotic Cyt c from mitochondria was not inhibited, indicating that release of Cyt c is probably not dependent on mPTP opening. In addition, inhibitors of Bax (e.g., Bax-inhibiting peptide) did not reduce the release of Cyt c from the mitochondria by formation of Bax-voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) complex, whereas the recombinant Bcl-x(L )proteins significantly reduced the release of Cyt c after exposure to DMA(III), suggesting that dimethylated DMA(III) directly interacted with the VDAC in mitochondria and caused the release of Cyt c from mitochondria.

Cellular adenine and pyridine nucleotides play important roles in the cellular energy and redox state. An imbalance in the cellular levels of these tightly regulated energy related nucleotides can lead to oxidative stress and thus is discussed to contribute to neurotoxic and carcinogenic processes. Here we established a reliable ion-pair reversed phase HPLC based method for the parallel quantification of six energy related nucleotides (ATP, ADP, ADP-ribose, AMP, NAD(+), NADH) in cells and subsequently applied it to determine effects of manganese and arsenic species in cultured human cells. In human lung cells, MnCl(2) (≥50 μM) decreased the levels of ATP, NAD(+) and NADH as well as the NAD(+)/NADH ratio. This reflects a decline in the cellular energy metabolism, most likely resulting from a disturbance of the mitochondrial function. In contrast, cultured astrocytes were more resistant towards manganese. Regarding the arsenicals, a disturbance of the cellular energy related nucleotides was detected in lung cells for arsenite (≥50 μM), monomethylarsonous (≥1 μM), dimethylarsinous (≥1 μM) and dimethylarsinic acid (≥100 μM). Thereby, the single arsenicals seem to disturb the cellular energy and redox state by different mechanisms. Taken together, this study provides further evidence that cellular energy related nucleotides serve as sensitive indicators for toxic species exposure. When searching for a molecular mechanism of toxic compounds, the data illustrate the necessity of quantifying several energy related nucleotides in parallel, especially since ATP depletion, redox state alterations and oxidative stress are known to potentiate each other., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012)

The enzyme As(III) S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.137) (ArsM or AS3MT) is found in members of every kingdom, from bacteria to humans. In these enzymes, there are three conserved cysteine residues at positions 72, 174, and 224 in the CmArsM orthologue from the thermophilic eukaryotic alga Cyanidioschyzon sp. 5508. Substitution of any of the three led to loss of As(III) methylation. In contrast, a C72A mutant still methylated trivalent methylarsenite [MAs(III)]. Protein fluorescence of a single-tryptophan mutant reported binding of As(III) or MAs(III). As(GS)(3) and MAs(GS)(2) bound significantly faster than As(III), suggesting that the glutathionylated arsenicals are preferred substrates for the enzyme. Protein fluorescence also reported binding of Sb(III), and the purified enzyme methylated and volatilized Sb(III). The results suggest that all three cysteine residues are necessary for the first step in the reaction, As(III) methylation, but that only Cys174 and Cys224 are required for the second step, methylation of MAs(III) to dimethylarsenite [DMAs(III)]. The rate-limiting step was identified as the conversion of DMAs(III) to trimethylarsine, and DMAs(III) accumulates as the principal product.