Arsenic is a toxic
metalloid enormously found in the environment causing health hazardous effects.
Human anthropogenic activities and industrialization contribute to increasing
levels of arsenite in the environment. Both the form (arsenate (AsV) and
arsenaite (As III) disturbs cellular activities and, since the structure of
arsenate is similar of phosphate it get inside the cell by phosphate
transporter ultimately amount of phosphate is reduced. Microorganisms have
developed diverse mechanisms for detoxification and resistance. Oxidation,
reduction and methylation mechanisms are in the main to cope up with metalloid arsenic.
When arsenite is injested into the cell, it`s cycling leads the development of
reactive oxygen species. Thus, in an occurrence of arsenite in the cell,
activities of different antioxidative enzymes (catalase, peroxidise,
glutathione Stransferase and superoxide dismutase) are found to be increased.
This review focuses on mechanisms concerned with arsenite tolerance and
management of this toxic metalloid for a sustainable environmental system.