Relief of arsenate toxicity by Cd-stimulated phytochelatin synthesis in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

In most photosynthetic organisms, inorganic arsenic taken up into the cells inhibits photosynthesis and cellular growth. In a green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, 0.5 mM arsenate inhibited photosynthesis almost completely within 30 min.