title: Metallothionein messenger RNA levels in the macular mutant mouse: an animal model of Menkes' kinky-hair disease.
abstract: Levels of metallothionein-1 (MT-1) messenger RNA (mRNA) in various tissues from normal and macular mutant mice at different stages of development (17 days of gestation, 1-, 3-, 7- and 14-day-old) were determined by Northern blot analysis. Renal MT-1 mRNA levels in mutant mice were slightly elevated at 3 stages compared to normal mice, with the exception of mutant fetus and 3-day-old mutant mice. Intestinal MT-1 mRNA levels in mutant mice were elevated at 3 stages compared to normal mice with the exception of mutant fetus and 3-day-old mutant mice. Hepatic MT-1 mRNA levels in mutant fetus and 1-day-old mutant mice were approximately the same compared to normal mice. In 3- and 7-day-old mutant mice, hepatic MT-1 mRNA levels were depressed and in 14-day-old mutant mice, they were increased compared to normal mice. Brain MT-1 mRNA could not be detected in normal and mutant mice at the 4 stages with the exception of 14-day-old mice. MT-1 mRNA in 14-day-old mice was detected and the level of that in mutant mice was slightly elevated compared to normal mice. After injection of Cu, MT-1 mRNA levels in kidney, liver and intestine were determined. The injection of Cu increased the level of MT-1 mRNA in the tissues of normal and mutant mice compared to control (saline-injected) mice. Significant differences in MT-1 mRNA levels in the tissues of both Cu-injected mice were not observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Kochi Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinebuchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007422:Intestines / Q000737:chemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D007706:Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome / Q000235:genetics*; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003300:Copper; D008668:Metallothionein; D015032:Zinc