Simian virus 40-transformed metallothionein null cells showed increased sensitivity to cadmium but not to zinc, copper, mercury or nickel.
Primary cultured embryonic cells derived from mice with disrupted metallothionein (MT) I and II genes and from control mice were transformed with a plasmid encoding the simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen. The resulting MT-/- and MT+/+ cell strains showed similar cell morphology, cell cycle and no significant differences in glutathione levels or in the activities of glutathione-related enzymes and antioxidant enzymes. The MT-/- cells were more sensitive to Cd than MT+/+ cells, though no increase in the sensitivity to Zn, Cu, Hg or Ni were observed in MT-/- cells. MT+/+ cells accumulated more Cd than MT-/- cells but showed less lesion, suggesting the role of MT induced by Cd in MT+/+ cells as a scavenger of toxic Cd ion. These results suggest a dominant protective role of MT against Cd compared with other metals. SV40-transformed MT-/- cells seem to be a useful tool for the investigation of cellular function of MT.
Kondo
Y
Y
Department of Urology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
Yanagiya
T
T
Himeno
S
S
Yamabe
Y
Y
Schwartz
D
D
Akimoto
M
M
Lazo
J S
JS
Imura
N
N
D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003300:Copper / Q000633:toxicity; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008670:Metals / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009532:Nickel / Q000633:toxicity; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000235:genetics; D015032:Zinc / Q000633:toxicity
D008670:Metals; D002104:Cadmium; D003300:Copper; D009532:Nickel; D008668:Metallothionein; D008628:Mercury; D015032:Zinc