White-sided dolphin metallothioneins: purification, characterisation and potential role.
Metallothioneins (MTs) were characterised in the kidneys of a white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus acutus stranded along the Belgian coast, displaying high levels of cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) in liver and kidney. The protein has two isoforms: MT-1 and MT-2. MT-1 binds Cu, Zn, Hg and Cd, while MT-2 only binds Zn, Hg and Cd. This suggests different metabolic functions for the two isoforms: MT-1 is mainly involved in Cu homeostasis; MT-2, which was four-fold more abundant than MT-1, detoxifies most of the accumulated cadmium.
Das
K
K
Laboratoire d'Océanologie, B6 Université de Liège, B-4000, Liège, Belgium. Krishna.Das@ulg.ac.be
Jacob
V
V
Bouquegneau
J M
JM
D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D004289:Dolphins; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D002104:Cadmium; D003300:Copper; D008668:Metallothionein; D008628:Mercury; D015032:Zinc