Localization, regulation, and function of metallothionein-III/growth inhibitory factor in the brain.
The metallothionein (MT) family is a class of low molecular, intracellular, and cysteine-rich proteins with a high affinity for metals. Although the first of these proteins was discovered nearly 40 years ago, their functional significance remains obscure. Four major isoforms (MT-I, MT-II, MT-III, and MT-IV) have been identified in mammals. MT-I and MT-II are ubiquitously expressed in various organs including the brain, while expression of MT-III and MT-IV is restricted in specific organs. MT-III was detected predominantly in the brain, and characterized as a central nervous system-specific isomer. The role of MTs in the central nervous system has become an intense focus of scientific research. An isomer of MTs, MT-III, of particular interest, was originally discovered as a growth inhibitory factor, and has been found to be markedly reduced in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease and several other neurodegenerative diseases. MT-III fulfills unique biological roles in homeostasis of the central nervous system and in the etiology of neuropathological disorders.
Department of Dental Pharmacology, Okayama University Dental School, Japan. caoki@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
C A
CA
Sogawa
M
M
Asanuma
N
N
Sogawa
I
I
Miyazaki
T
T
Nakanishi
H
H
Furuta
N
N
Ogawa
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D000090023:Metallothionein 3; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D000090023:Metallothionein 3; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins