Insights into zinc and cadmium biology in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
Zinc is an essential metal that is involved in a wide range of biological processes, and aberrant zinc homeostasis is implicated in multiple human diseases. Cadmium is chemically similar to zinc, but it is a nonessential environmental pollutant. Because zinc deficiency and excess are deleterious, animals require homeostatic mechanisms to maintain zinc levels in response to dietary fluctuations. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is emerging as a powerful model system to investigate zinc trafficking and homeostasis as well as cadmium toxicity. Here we review genetic and molecular studies that have combined to generate a picture of zinc homeostasis based on the transcriptional control of zinc transporters in intestinal cells. Furthermore, we summarize studies of cadmium toxicity that reveal intriguing parallels with zinc biology.
Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States. Electronic address: n.dietrich@wustl.edu.
Nicholas
N
Dietrich
Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States.
Chieh-Hsiang
CH
Tan
Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States.
Ciro
C
Cubillas
Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States.
Brian James
BJ
Earley
Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8103, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States.
Kerry
K
Kornfeld
D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002104:Cadmium / Q000502:physiology*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D019070:Cell Lineage; D003470:Culture Media; D004032:Diet; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D006706:Homeostasis; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology; D014844:Vulva / Q000502:physiology; D015032:Zinc / Q000502:physiology*
D003470:Culture Media; D002104:Cadmium; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D015032:Zinc
Cadmium; Elegans; Zinc; cdf