title: Formation of copper-metallothionein/tetrathiomolybdate complex is the first step in removal of Cu from LEC rats.
abstract: Copper (Cu) accumulating in the liver of LEC rats (Long-Evans rats with a cinnamon-like coat color) is bound to metallothionein (MT). Mechanisms for the removal of Cu by tetrathiomolybdate (TTM) were studied by the high performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma--mass spectrometry (HPLC/ICP-MS) method. MT containing Cu and cadmium (Cd) (Cu,Cd-MT) was reacted with TTM at a molar ratio of TTM/Cu = 0.5. A complex containing Cu, Cd and molybdenum (Mo) was formed and migrated to a position corresponding to an MT dimer on a gel filtration column. This complex designated previously as a dimer of MT through -S-Cu-S- bridge was revised to be a complex formed between MT and TTM through (MT)-S-Cu-S-(TTM) bridge with differing numbers of TTM bound to MT.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008982:Molybdenum / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D003300:Copper; D008982:Molybdenum; D008668:Metallothionein; C020809:tetrathiomolybdate; D015032:Zinc