Avoidance of aluminum toxicity in freshwater snails involves intracellular silicon-aluminum biointeraction

Silicon (Si) ameliorates aluminum (Al) toxicity to a range of organisms, but in almost all cases this is due to ex vivo Si-Al interactions forming inert hydroxyaluminosilicates (HAS). We hypothesized a Si-specific intracellular mechanism for Al detoxification in aquatic snails, involving regulation of orthosilicic acid [Si(OH)4]…. Given the environmental abundance of both elements, we anticipate this to be a widespread phenomenon, providing a cellular defense against the profoundly toxic Al(III) ion.

Abstract. Environmental science & technology 2008; 42(6):2189-94