title: Binding property of rat and Limulus C-reactive proteins (CRP) to mercury.
abstract: The C-reactive proteins (CRP) from both rat and Limulus were found to bind mercury (Hg) in both in vivo and in vitro conditions. CRP has high-affinity binding sites for Hg as evidenced by the loss of free sulfhydryl groups, arrested mobility in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the consumption of CRP in the serum after Hg administration. The binding was tight as it could not be inhibited either by the addition of cysteine or EDTA. By using a direct titration method it was shown that binding of Hg to CRP was saturable at a molar ratio of Hg/CRP = 13.11. The possibility that CRP may act as a scavenger for Hg is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Visva-Bharati University, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006737:Horseshoe Crabs; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008658:Inactivation, Metabolic; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D008628:Mercury