title: Subcellular distribution of trace elements in the liver of sea turtles.
abstract: Subcellular distribution of Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Mo, Ag, Cd and Pb was determined in the liver of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) from Yaeyama Islands, Japan. Also, hepatic cytosol from sea turtles was applied on a Sephadex G-75 column and elution profiles of trace elements were examined. Copper, Zn, Se, Rb, Ag and Cd were largely present in cytosol in the liver of both species, indicating that cytosol was the significant site for the accumulation of these elements in sea turtles. In contrast, Mo and Pb were accumulated specifically in nuclear and mitochondrial fraction and microsomal fraction, respectively. Gel filtration analysis showed that Cu, Zn, Ag and Cd were bound to metallothionein (MT) in the cytosol of sea turtles. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the association of trace elements with MT in sea turtles.
authors.affiliation: Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Anan
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kunito
authors.forename: Haruya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003600:Cytosol / Q000737:chemistry; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D007564:Japan; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000737:chemistry; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014426:Turtles
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements