title: Effect of gamma irradiation on metallothionein protein expression in Plantago ovata Forsk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effect of gamma rays on metallothionein (MT) expression was studied using the medicinal plant Plantago ovata as the test system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Western blotting and Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) were used for this purpose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Western blot analysis showed significant induction of metallothionein protein following gamma exposure and that induction was highest at 20 Gy gamma dose. At higher gamma doses (100 Gy) MT expression level declined due to degeneration of cells. MALDI-TOF MS analysis indicated the presence of low molecular weight (7-8 kD) MT molecules following the lower radiation doses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was concluded from the MALDI-TOF MS result that low gamma exposure leads to expression of MT-like protein. At high doses of gamma ray, MT homologues or MT-like protein were not identified, possibly because they might have precipitated due to uncontrolled cross-linking and non-specific aggregation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India.
authors.forename: Priyanka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: Debasis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Sumana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Arunabha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chakrabarti
authors.forename: Sarmistha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sen Raychaudhuri
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005720:Gamma Rays; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010943:Plantago / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D008668:Metallothionein