重金属とメタロチオネイン

概要

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Metallothionein is named for its characteristic structure, a low molecular weight metal-binding protein (61 amino acid residues) rich in cysteinyl residues (20 residues) and heavy metals (7 metals for zinc and cadmium). Heavy metals which can induce and can be bound to metallothionein are restricted to seven heavy metals (zinc, copper, cadmium, silver, mercury, gold, and bismuth). Namely, heavy metals with higher affinity than zinc can be bound <I>in vivo</I> to metallothionein.Other heavy metals such as nickel, manganese, chromium, and so on can also induce metallothionein but can not be bound to metallothionein and the induced metallothionein contains only zinc or zinc and a small amount of copper. A great diversity of stresses other than heavy metals such as starvation, operation, administrations of alkylating agents and inflammatory drugs also induces metallothionein. Glucocorticohormone which may be related to the stresses also induces metallothionein and high concentrations of metallothionein are observed in the livers of foetus and neonatus. Biological functions of metallothionein have been postulated to be a protective protein from harmful heavy metals and a regulating protein for the homeostasis of zinc and copper.
社団法人有機合成化学協会の論文