Chromatographic Properties of Metallothioneins on a Gel Permeation Column: Changes Induced by Replacement of Cadmium with Cuprous and Cupric Ions

Abstract

In vitro experiments were conducted to find whether or not a similar elution profile to rat kidney metallothionein with high copper content was obtained on a gel permeation column by replacement of cadmium and/or zinc in rat liver metallothionein with copper. Stepwise replacement of cadmium in rat liver metallothionein with cuprous ion did not cause any shifts of retention times from those of the original proteins on a gel permeation column (SW 3000 column). In contrast to cuprous ion, stepwise replacement of cadmium with cupric ion induced shifts of retention times to larger values than the original ones for the two isometallothioneins on a SW column. Replacement of zinc in zinc-thionein with cupric ion but not with cuprous ion caused a retardation of elution volume on a Sephadex G-75 column. The decreases of cadmium peaks were accompanied by the increases of copper peaks in the case of replacement of cadmium in metallothionein with cuprous ion. Although stepwise decreases of cadmium peaks were observed by the replacement of cadmium in metallothionein with cupric ion, concomitant increases of copper peaks were not observed. Although the relative peak heights of isometallothionein peaks were different from those of rat kidney metallothionein, the third peak with the same retention time as that of rat kidney metallothionein was observed for the replacement of cadmium with cupric but not with cuprous ion.     

Determination of the cadmium and copper content inherent to metallothionein

The reliability of the voltammetric determination of the cadmium and copper content (at pH 1.0), inherent to metallothionein (MT) isolated from the digestive gland of Mytilus galloprovincialis, was investigated. An artifact signal enhancement of copper, caused by the cupric-thionein complex adsorption at the mercury electrode, was established. This artifact was removed by UV-digestion of the sample for 15–20 h prior to analysis. A similar artifact was not detected for cadmium, because at this pH the cadmium-thionein complex has dissociated, and cadmium exists in the ionic form. Therefore, the voltammetric analysis of the cadmium content can be performed directly at pH 1.0, without prior UV-digestion of the sample.     

Determination of the cadmium and copper content inherent to metallothionein

The reliability of the voltammetric determination of the cadmium and copper content (at pH 1.0), inherent to metallothionein (MT) isolated from the digestive gland of Mytilus galloprovincialis, was investigated. An artifact signal enhancement of copper, caused by the cupric-thionein complex adsorption at the mercury electrode, was established. This artifact was removed by UV-digestion of the sample for 15–20 h prior to analysis. A similar artifact was not detected for cadmium, because at this pH the cadmium-thionein complex has dissociated, and cadmium exists in the ionic form. Therefore, the voltammetric analysis of the cadmium content can be performed directly at pH 1.0, without prior UV-digestion of the sample. Received: 4 August 1997 / Revised: 12 November 1997 / Accepted: 16 November 1997     

Determination of Metallothionein in Different Organs of Ovariectomized Rat by the Cd-Saturation Method

Metallothionein (MT) is a low molecular weight (approximately 6,700 Da), cysteine-rich, heat-stable protein that can be induced by a variety of metals including cadmium, copper and zinc. One of the main functions of metallothionein is to protect against toxicity mediated by metals. Besides metal detoxification, the abundant sulfur molecules of the protein contribute to its function as free radical scavengers.     

DISTRIBUTION AND ELIMINATION OF PHOTOFRIN II IN MICE

The distribution and elimination of [14C]PII, the radioisotopically-labeled equivalent of the mixture of porphyrins known as Photofrin II used in the photodynamic treatment of solid tumors, were determined in tumor-free and SMT-F tumor-bearing DBA/2 Ha-DD mice. Following i.p. injection, drug was absorbed from the peritoneum with a half-life of about 1 h; elimination from plasma was rapid, declining about 1.4 logs in concentration over 48 h following i.v. administration. However, some [14C]-activity was still detectable after 75 days. Normal tissues take up the drug within about 7.5 h after administration, with peak concentrations distributed as follows: liver, adrenal gland, urinary bladder greater than pancreas, kidney, spleen greater than stomach, bone, lung, heart greater than muscle much greater than brain. Only skeletal muscle, brain, and skin located contralaterally to subcutaneously implanted SMT-F tumors had peak [14C]-activities lower than tumor tissue; skin overlying SMT-F tumors showed concentrations not significantly different (P greater than 0.3) from tumor. After 75 days all tissues examined retained some fraction of [14C]-activity, ranging from 16% for kidney to 61% for spleen, of the initial peak tissue levels. The primary route of elimination of Photofrin II was through the bile-gut pathway, with greater than 59% of the administered [14C]-activity recovered in the feces, and only about 6% in the urine, over 192 h. HPLC analyses of fecal extracts showed that mostly monomeric and other low molecular weight porphyrin components of Photofrin II were eliminated. The higher molecular weight oligomeric fractions of Photofrin II were retained in liver and spleen up to 14 days after injection.     

Total Sulfur Concentration in Tissues of Control and Cadmium-Exposed Rats by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry

Abstract

Total sulfur (S) concentration in biological samples was determined simultaneously with metal concentrations by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP).

A 0.2 g portion of liver and other tissues were wet-digested with 1.0 ml mixed acid (HNO₃ : HCLO₄ = 5 : 1, v/v) at 130 – 150 °C. The solution was concentrated to about 0.1 ml and then diluted to 5.0 ml with double distilled water. Concentration of S was determined by ICP using ammonium sulfate as a standard S compound. Sulfur and other element concentrations in an NBS standard reference material (Bovine Liver SRM 1577) were within the certified values by this method.

Concentrations of total S, cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in the liver, kidney, spleen, lung, pancreas and blood serum were compared between the control and Cd-exposed rats. The three metal concentrations were increased significantly by Cd exposure. However, S concentration was not altered significantly in the liver and other tissues despite the extensive induction of metallothionein (MT) by the repeated Cd exposure. Metallothionein induced by the accumulated Cd (121 μg/g) and Zn (48 μg/g) in the liver was estimated to account for at maximum 7 % of the total S by assuming that the increased metals were all bound to MT. Concentration of S in blood serum was decreased significantly by Cd loading.     

锌诱导对香菇菌丝生长速度及金属硫蛋白含量影响

金属硫蛋白(Metallothionein)对镉、铜和锌等多种元素有高度亲和性,具有重金属解毒的功能。选取食用菌中的香菇(Mushrooms)作为代表菌种,在固体培养基中添加了不同浓度梯度的元素锌盐溶液,每天测定不同锌浓度作用下香菇的生长速度;培养结束,测定菌丝体内锌含量和金属硫蛋白含量。结果表明,培养环境中锌浓度越高,菌丝体内富锌量越多。通过一系列元素吸附和金属硫蛋白含量相关性分析,发现元素锌含量与香菇中金属硫蛋白含量呈正相关性,锌含量越高,金属硫蛋白含量也越高。实验结果为香菇及其他食用菌富集元素锌机理提供参考,还为食用菌安全问题的解决提供一定参考依据。     

Application of high-performance liquid chromatography--inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to the investigation of cadmium speciation in pig kidney following cooking and in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion

The speciation of cadmium in retail pig kidney has been examined by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled directly to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Approximately 35% of the cadmium from uncooked kidney was soluble after aqueous extraction at pH 8 and SEC - ICP-MS revealed three discrete peaks whose retention times corresponded to estimated relative molecular masses of 1.2 x 10(6), 7.0 x 10(4) and 6 x 10(3)-9 x 10(3). In the cooked kidney, 35% of the Cd was soluble and was all associated with a peak of a relative molecular mass (Mr) of 6 x 10(3)-9 x 10(3). After simulated gastric digestion of cooked pig kidney at pH 2.5, 60% of the cadmium was solubilised and associated with a species of Mr less than 1 x 10(3). When the digest was also subjected to simulated intestinal digestion at pH 6.8, a single peak, which corresponded to 20% of the original cadmium, was eluted. This peak co-eluted with the single peak extracted at pH 8.0 from the cooked kidney. It was also of similar estimated Mr to the single broad peak observed after simulated gastro-intestinal digestion of equine renal metallothionein (Mr = 1.1 x 10(4]. The results suggest that the majority of soluble cadmium in retail pig kidney is associated with a metallothionein-like protein that survives both cooking and simulated in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion.     

Cadmium chronic administration to lactating ewes: reproductive performance, cadmium tissue accumulation and placental transfer

20 lactating ewes were allotted to two groups: 10 subjects received orally 100 mg/day of CdCl2 for 108 consecutive days, and the remaining 10 acted as control. Reproductive performance in ewes and cadmium tissue accumulation, both in ewes and their lambs, were investigated. The results showed that in ewes: 1) the regular cadmium intestinal intake negatively influences all reproductive parameters; 2) cadmium is particularly accumulated in kidney and liver, but also in mammary gland, although at a distinctly lower level; 3) chronic administration does not increase cadmium placental transfer in lactating pregnant subjects.     

金属硫蛋白的分离与纯化

金属硫蛋白(MT)是一类低分子量、高巯基含量,能大量结合重金属离子的蛋白质.本文从诱导剂的注射次数、家兔体重以及不同诱导剂等因素对家兔体内金属硫蛋白含量的影响进行了分析.金属硫蛋白氨基酸组分分析结果与文献报道一致.利用精品生产工艺对金属硫蛋白粗品进行纯化,结果令人满意.     

Investigation of sol-gel matrices containing crude metallothionein from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scchizosaccharomyces pombe</Emphasis> for water treatment applications

The application of silica sol–gel particles containing crude metallothionein (MT) was investigated for cadmium removal from water. The metallothionein was first extracted from the yeast Scchizosaccharomyces pombe, and entrapped in the sol–gel matrices. Then sol–gel particles with the different sizes (ranging from 45 to 225 μm) were made. The effect of different flow rates as well as different particle sizes on adsorption of cadmium was investigated. The particle size has a greater effect on Cd adsorption than flow rate in the system studied. The breakthrough curves in the column were modeled using an empirical two parameter fixed-bed adsorption model. The model relates the changes of cadmium concentration in effluent to the standard deviation (σ) and characteristic of time (t ₀).     

Isolation of metallothionein from cells derived from aggressive form of high-grade prostate carcinoma using paramagnetic antibody-modified microbeads off-line coupled with electrochemical and electrophoretic analysis

Prostate cancer with altered zinc(II) cell metabolism is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in developed countries. The alterations of zinc(II) metabolism can influence metabolism of other metal ions and can also be associated with the expression and translation of metal-binding proteins including metallothioneins. The aim of this article was to optimize immunoseparation protocol based on paramagnetic beads conjugated with protein G for the isolation of metallothionein. Isolated metallothionein was determined by differential pulse voltammetry Brdicka reaction and SDS-PAGE. Optimal conditions: antigen-binding time - 60 min, temperature - 70°C, and buffer composition and pH - acetate buffer, pH 4.3, were determined. Under the optimized conditions, lysates from 22Rv1 prostate cancer cells treated with various concentrations of cadmium(II) and copper(II) ions were analyzed. We observed strong correlation in all experimental groups and all lysate types (r>0.83 at p<0.041) between metallothionein concentration related to viability and concentration of copper(II) ions and cadmium(II) ions in medium. Moreover, the results were compared with standard sample preparation as heat treatment and SDS-PAGE analysis.     

Effects of three dithiocarbamates on tissue distribution and excretion of cadmium in mice

N-Benzyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate (BGD), N-p-hydroxymethylbenzyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate (HBGD), and N-p-carboxybenzyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate (CBGD) were compared for their relative efficacies in the distribution and excretion of cadmium in mice exposed to cadmium. Mice were injected intraperitoneally with 109CdCl2 (1 mg of Cd/kg and 2 microCi of 109Cd/one animal). Three days later, they were injected with chelating agents (400 mumol/kg) every other day for 2 weeks. After injections of BGD and HBGD, cadmium was excreted mainly in the feces through the bile, and the fecal excretion of cadmium by HBGD was significantly higher than that by BGD or CBGD. These chelating agents increased the urinary excretion of cadmium to a small extent. The hepatic cadmium content was decreased only after HBGD injection. Also, the injection of HBGD caused a much greater decrease in renal cadmium content than did BGD or CBGD. These chelating agents did not result in the redistribution of cadmium to the brain, testes, or heart. The growth of mice was only slightly retarded by injections of these chelating agents. The results of this study indicate that the injection of HBGD to mice pretreated with cadmium can remove cadmium from the body, mainly through fecal excretion, without redistribution of cadmium to other tissues such as the brain, testes, and heart, more effectively than BGD or CBGD.     

Electrochemical methods for quantification and characterization of metallothioneins induced in Mytilus galloprovincialis

The quantification of the purified metallothionein (MT) component, isolated from the digestive gland of cadmium-exposed Mytilus galloprovincialis, is described based on the analysis of Cd(II) and SH-groups content, applying electrochemical methods. Advantages and disadvantages of the Brdicka procedure for the determination of the MT content is discussed. The saturation of binding positions of purified MT with Cd(2+) ions can be directly followed voltammetrically. Irrespective of the MT concentration, the saturation with Cd(2+) of in vivo induced mussel MT is achieved at a molar ratio of 5. Cd(2+) ions are rapidly displaced from the Cd-Th complex after the addition of Pb(2+) ions, which indicates the kinetically labile type of the complex.     

环境污染物镉毒性作用机理研究进展

总结了环境污染物重金属离子镉的毒性作用机理,包括它与金属硫蛋白钙、活性氧自由基以及线粒体的关系。     

Structural Adaptation of a Protein to Increased Metal Stress: NMR Structure of a Marine Snail Metallothionein with an Additional Domain

In this study, we present an NMR structure of the metallothionein (MT) from the snail Littorina littorea (LlMT) in complex with Cd²⁺. LlMT is capable of binding 9 Zn²⁺ or 9 Cd²⁺ ions. Sequence alignments with other snail MTs revealed that the protein is likely composed of three domains. The study revealed that the protein is divided into three individual domains, each of which folds into a single well‐defined three‐metal cluster. The central α2 and C‐terminal β domains are positioned with a unique relative orientation. Two variants with longer and shorter linkers were investigated, which revealed that specific interdomain contacts only occurred with the wild‐type linker. Moreover, a domain‐swap mutant in which the highly similar α1 and α2 domains were exchanged was structurally almost identical. It is suggested that the expression of a three‐domain MT confers an evolutionary advantage on Littorina littorea in terms of coping with Cd²⁺ stress and adverse environmental conditions.     

Metallothionein quantification in clams by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to fluorescence detection after monobromobimane derivatization

In this paper, we describe a highly specific, sensitive and reliable method for total metallothionein (MT) quantification by RP-HPLC coupled to fluorescence detection following reaction with monobromobimane of thiols from metal-depleted MT after heat-denaturation of extracts in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) confirmed the identity of the peak resolved (t(R)=16.44) with MT: a highly fluorescent protein of approximately 8.3 kDa, in agreement with the high thiol content and low MT size. Other heat-resistant and Cys-containing proteins of 35 kDa were efficiently separated. The new method was successfully used to quantify MT content in digestive gland of clams from southern Spanish coastal sites with different metal levels, and is proposed as a tool for using MTs as biomarker in monitoring programmes.     

An Assessment of Sample Preservation Methods for the Determination of Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Ratios in Mollusks

The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of preservation methods and preservation times on the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values in the tissues of six mollusk species (Mytilus edulis, Crassostrea gigas, Ruditapes philippinarum, Acanthochiton seulschnochilon, Littorina brevicula, and Rapana venosa). To identify potential preservation effects on δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values and to examine temporal changes in the effects of preservation, repeated analyses were carried out after 1 day, 5 days, 15 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months of preservation. The results showed that drying preservation was the most suitable method for preserving samples, while freezing and chemical preservation significantly affected the stable isotope values compared with those of the controls. The effects of preservatives on the tissues of different mollusk species were statistically significant for both δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values. Shifts in the δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values, due to freezing and chemical preservation, were higher in Acanthochiton seulschnochilon, Littorina brevicula, and Rapana venosa than in the other three species. The effects of preservatives on carbon isotope values were variable. In most cases, the shift of the δ¹³C values from the control samples were less than 1% for those of the treated samples. The δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N data from the preserved samples could thus be used in food web reconstruction studies. Further studies will be necessary, however, in order to elucidate the effects of preservation type and time on other species.     

Identification of a metallothionein in Synechococcus by capillary electrophoresis hyphenated with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

A home-made system hyphenating capillary electrophoresis with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (CE-ICP-MS) for cadmium speciation of protein-binding and free cadmium ions in solution is presented. The CE-ICP-MS interface consisted of an acrylic block with an internal volume ca. 20 microL in which a platinum electrode, a capillary column, and a connection to an ICP nebulizer were inserted. A make-up electrolyte solution containing 50 mmol L(-1) Tris-HCl buffer solution (pH 9.0) was continuously flowed through the interface to the ICP nebulizer. The separation of free Cd ions, Cd-cysteine, and Cd bounded to metallothionein (MT) isoforms from rabbit liver was carried out by capillary electrophoresis, and the analytes were detected by ICP-MS. The feasibility to isolate metallothionein compounds extracted from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC7942 was demonstrated. The Cd binding proteins were induced in Synechococcus PCC7942 and further analyzed by CE ICP-MS.