Responses and Defense Mechanisms against Toxic Metals

Dear Colleagues,

The cellular stress response is a universal reaction of cells to damage to macromolecules (nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids) caused by stressors. Although many responses are not strictly specific, several other stress-specific mechanisms are simultaneously activated to restore or re-establish homeostasis. This Stresses Special Issue calls for epidemiological and experimental studies that investigate animal, human, plant, photoautotrophic, fungal, bacterial and viral responses to metal and metalloids, namely, cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), etc., as well as excess/homeostatic levels of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), etc. These are all elements that have been mobilized from non-bioavailable geologic matrices to biologically accessible sources from which they can enter food chains. Indeed, they are not biodegradable, and thus they persist indefinitely in the environment, which facilitates their transfer to food chains. In particular, Cd and Pb in cereals, potatoes, and other vegetables contribute the most to the total intake of these toxic metals (https://encyclopedia.pub/3575), while seafood is a known dietary source of methylmercury.

Authors are invited and welcome to submit original research papers, reviews, and short communications. Topics may embrace fundamental cell functions that are responsive to any toxic metal(loid), including excess of metal micronutrients. Examples are heme biosynthesis, heme degradation, and the homeostatic regulation of nutritionally essential Fe, Zn, and Cu. Studies of genetic and nutritional influences on these stress-response and stress-defense mechanisms are favourable, as are those attempting to elucidate the interplay of nutrition, genetics, and the environment in all the above biological systems. Reports of methodological development to probe cellular stressor responses are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Soisungwan Satarug
Prof. Dr. Luigi Sanita' di Toppi
Dr. Rocío Vicentefranqueira Rodríguez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Stresses is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.