Induction of metallothionein by zinc in lethal milk mutant mice.
Adult lethal milk (lm/lm) mutant mice display increased induction of hepatic metallothionein synthesis compared to wild-type mice following the subcutaneous injection of 40 mumol ZnCl2/kg mouse. At this zinc dose the rate of incorporation of [35S] cysteine into hepatic metallothionein in adult (100- to 230-day-old) lm/lm mice was approximately 2.4-fold greater than the rate of incorporation of isotope in wild-type animals. At a higher zinc dose (160 mumol ZnCl2/kg) the incorporation of [35S] cysteine into hepatic metallothionein was similar in lm/lm and wild-type mice. The altered dose-response to zinc administration was not due to a change in hepatic zinc, copper, or manganese levels, to a difference in 65Zn uptake, or to an alteration in 65Zn bound to differential centrifugation fractions of adult lm/lm liver. 65Zn bound to hepatic metallothionein was, however, increased in aging lm/lm mice with symptomatic skin lesions.
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains / Q000235:genetics*; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency / Q000494:pharmacology*
D008667:Metalloproteins; D008668:Metallothionein; D015032:Zinc