Arsenic binding to Fucus vesiculosus metallothionein.
The seaweed Fucus vesiculosus is a member of the brown algae family. Kille and co-workers [Biochem. J. 338 (1999) 553] reported that this species contains the gene for metallothionein. Metallothionein is a metalloprotein having low molecular weight, and high cysteine content, which binds a range of metals. F. vesiculosus bioaccumulates arsenic from the aquatic environment [Mar. Chem. 18 (1986) 321]. In this paper we describe arsenic binding to F. vesiculosus metallothionein, characterized by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Five arsenic-MT species were detected with increasing As to protein ratios. These results provide important information about the metal-chelation behaviour of this novel algal metallothionein which is a putative model for arsenic binding to F. vesiculosus in vivo.
Merrifield
Maureen E
ME
Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ont., Canada N6A 5B7.
Ngu
Thanh
T
Stillman
Martin J
MJ
D020418:Algal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D001151:Arsenic / Q000737:chemistry*; D044645:Fucus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
D020418:Algal Proteins; D008668:Metallothionein; D001151:Arsenic