HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Petering, D. H. Articles by Dughish, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Petering, D. H. Articles by Dughish, M.

---

5TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON METALLOTHIONEIN SYMPOSIUM PAPERS

Apo-Metallothionein Emerging as a Major Player in the Cellular Activities of Metallothionein

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201

To whom requests for reprints should be addressed at ¹ 3210 N. Cramer Street, Milwaukee, WI 53201. E-mail: petering{at}uwm.edu

Abstract

Observations of apo-metallothionein (apo-MT) have been made under a variety of physiologic circumstances, including zinc deficiency in cell culture and in rodents, cellular induction of MT by dexamethasone with concurrent Zn deficiency, a variety of tumors under normal Zn conditions, MT induction by Zn and Bi citrate, induction of hepatic MT after tumor cell injection into nude mice, and overexpression of cardiac MT in MT transgenic mice. Experiments demonstrating both the lability of Zn and Cu bound to MT and the cellular stability of apo-MT are described to help rationalize the widespread presence of this metal-depleted species. Finally, comparative in vitro and cellular experiments examined the relative reactivity of Zn- and apo-MT with nitric oxide species, showing that apo-MT is much more reactive chemically and that in cells it may be a principal reactive species within the MT pool.

Key Words: metallothionein • apo-metallothionein • zinc • copper • bismuth • tumor • nitric oxide