Determination and purification of metallothioneins by high performance liquid chromatography.

A rapid, reproducible and sensitive high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the determination and purification of metallothionein-I (MT-I) and metallothionein-II (MT-II) in mouse and rabbit livers has been developed. Methallothioneins (MTs) were separated by an HPLC anion exchange column, eluted through a linear gradient of Tris buffer and the peak containing MTs was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Furthermore, the content of MT-I or MT-II was calculated by protein peak area in a short time (about 20 min). The sample to be tested was homogenized, centrifuged and saturated by cadmium. MT-I and MT-II were eluted at 15.9 and 19.3 min, respectively. The following mouse liver cytosols were tested: controls, Cd-injected samples and 60Co-irradiated samples. A detection limit of 5 micrograms/g liver was established for this method. We have analysed more than 100 biological samples and obtained satisfactory results.     

Metal components analysis of metallothionein-III in the brain sections of metallothionein-I and metallothionein-II null mice exposed to mercury vapor with HPLC/ICP-MS

Mercury vapor is effectively absorbed via inhalation and easily passes through the blood–brain barrier; therefore, mercury poisoning with primarily central nervous system symptoms occurs. Metallothionein (MT) is a cysteine-rich metal-binding protein and plays a protective role in heavy-metal poisoning and it is associated with the metabolism of trace elements. Two MT isoforms, MT-I and MT-II, are expressed coordinately in all mammalian tissues, whereas MT-III is a brain-specific member of the MT family. MT-III binds zinc and copper physiologically and is seemed to have important neurophysiological and neuromodulatory functions. The MT functions and metal components of MTs in the brain after mercury vapor exposure are of much interest; however, until now they have not been fully examined. In this study, the influences of the lack of MT-I and MT-II on mercury accumulation in the brain and the changes of zinc and copper concentrations and metal components of MTs were examined after mercury vapor exposure by using MT-I, II null mice and 129/Sv (wild-type) mice as experimental animals. MT-I, II null mice and wild-type mice were exposed to mercury vapor or an air stream for 2 h and were killed 24 h later. The brain was dissected into the cerebral cortex, the cerebellum, and the hippocampus. The concentrations of mercury in each brain section were determined by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentrations of mercury, copper, and zinc in each brain section were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mercury accumulated in brains after mercury vapor exposure for MT-I, II null mice and wild-type mice. The mercury levels of MT-I, II null mice in each brain section were significantly higher than those of wild-type mice after mercury vapor exposure. A significant change of zinc concentrations with the following mercury vapor exposure for MT-I, II null mice was observed only in the cerebellum analyzed by two-way analysis of variance. As for zinc, the copper concentrations only changed significantly in the cerebellum. Metal components of metal-binding proteins of soluble fractions in the brain sections were analyzed by size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) connected with ICP-MS. From the results of HPLC/ICP-MS analyses, it was concluded that the mercury components of MT-III and high molecular weight metal-binding proteins in the cerebellum of MT-I, II null mice were much higher than those of wild-type mice. It was suggested that MT-III is associated with the storage of mercury in conditions lacking MT-I, and MT-II. It was also suggested that the physiological role of MT-III and some kind of high molecular weight proteins might be impaired by exposure to mercury vapor and lack of MT-I and MT-II.     

Metallothionein isoforms from horse, rabbit and rat separated by capillary zone electrophoresis at low pH

A comparative study of MT isoforms in rat liver and in commercial Sigma MT preparations from rabbit liver and horse kidney was performed using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). Electropherograms revealed the co-migration of MT forms from these species. A special form, the a-form (not binding Cd), occurred in various MT samples in different amounts, depending on the method used for MT purification. In the rabbit liver electropherogram a main form appeared (the b-form), which might be a modified MT form. A band of unknown composition, running ahead of the rat liver MT-I and -II forms on polyacrylamide gels, not having Cd binding affinity, probably had its counterpart in a yet unidentified CZE peak. CZE electropherograms of purified MT samples may contain main peaks that do not represent genuine and functional MT isoforms. Results are also presented which indicate that at low pH the MT-II form is more unstable than MT-I.     

Large volume sample stacking capillary electrophoresis for metallothioneins analysis in eel liver

A large volume sample stacking procedure (LVSS) is developed here for metallothionein (MT) determinations in rabbit liver by using capillary electrophoresis with UV detection. A 10-time improvement in concentration-based LODs, when compared to the normal stacking mode (CE-UV analysis of samples solved in water), is achieved.The methodology is successfully applied to analysis of MTs in eel liver cytosolic extracts, preceded by an easy cleaning-up pre-treatment in order to eliminate the high salt content. Analysis of cytosol obtained from a group of eels previously exposed to Cd (induced group) resulted in several isoforms of MTs with differences in absorbance signal compared to a control group.     

Separation and characterization of rabbit liver apothioneins by capillary electrophoresis coupled to electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The present study establishes a method for the separation and characterization of rabbit liver metallothionein (MT) subisoforms by capillary electrophoresis coupled to electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-ESI-TOF-MS) via a sheath-flow interface. Directly coupled-CE-MS enables the extraction of specific molecular weight information and thereby facilitates the identification of peaks when no reference materials are available, as in the case of MT subisoforms. The analysis described here revealed the presence of the apothioneins MT-1a, MT-2d, and MT-2e, belonging to MT-I sample, and MT-2a, MT-2b, and MT-2c, belonging to MT-II. Several non-N-acetylated forms were also detected as traces appearing with their respective acetylated forms in both samples. Similar results were found when MALDI-TOF experiments were performed, identifying all the sequenced rabbit liver MTs as apo-MT-forms, as in the CE-ESI-MS coupling.     

Metal speciation of metallothionein in white sea catfish, Netuma barba, and pearl cichlid, Geophagus brasiliensis, by orthogonal liquid chromatography coupled to ICP-MS detection

Metal speciation analysis in MTs was carried out in two tropical fish species of Brazil, the freshwater fish pearl cichlid (Geophagus brasiliensis) and the marine fish white sea catfish (Netuma barba), that are presently used to monitor the effects of heavy metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems in Brazil. In order to obtain the MT fraction, liver cytosols from both fish species where subjected to size exclusion fractionation, monitoring on-line the metal signal (Cd, Cu and Zn) by ICP-MS while protein elution was followed by on-line UV detection. That MT fraction was then separated by anion-exchange (AE)-FPLC, whose optimal chromatographic conditions were optimized for the separation of the different hepatic MT isoforms existing in both fish species. Specific detection of separated metalloforms was carried out again by the hyphenation of the AE chromatographic system with the ICP-MS instrument. The analytical results showed that MTs of these fish species, unknown so far, exhibited unique characteristics in comparison with standard MTs and other fish liver MTs. In fact, MT isoforms of N. barba turned out to be very anionic, as indicated by their high retention in the Mono Q column and the strong ionic strength required to separate them. As for G. brasiliensis, cadmium was exclusively present in only one of the peaks of the MT isoforms showing a unique metal-binding behavior for MT in this fish species. The differences between the MTs among these species and the different association of metals in particular MT isoforms display the importance of the metal speciation analysis in these proteins prior to its use as bioindicators.     

An alternative interface for CE-ICP-MS cadmium speciation in metallothioneins based on volatile species generation

An alternative CE-ICP-MS interface based on volatile species generation (VSG) is here developed, evaluated and compared to the conventional sample introduction systems via nebulisation. For this purpose, the speciation of Cd-metallothioneins (MTs) in rabbit liver is taken as a model. Cd, bound to the different MT isoforms previously separated by CE, is transformed into volatile species at the exit of the capillary and on-line detected by ICP-MS. Optimum conditions for Cd VSG have been investigated in a flow injection device, using NaBH₄ as hydrogenation reagent in a HCl medium containing cobalt and thiourea as catalysts. Sample volume injected, CE separation voltage and reagents flows have been optimised. Analytical performance characteristics of the CE-VSG-ICP-(Q)MS coupling developed were evaluated, in terms of repeatability and linearity of response, using standard rabbit liver metallothionein isoforms (MT1 and MT2). Detection limits for Cd-MTs turned out to be almost one order of magnitude better than those derived from using a conventional Babington nebuliser-based interface. Compared to a MicroMist-based interface detection limits resulted to be similar, but the observed peak height was eight times higher using the VSG interface, indicating the enhanced analyte transport efficiency derived from VSG sample introduction systems.     

三种金属硫蛋白动力学稳定性的理论研究

对三类金属硫蛋白（大鼠金属硫蛋白亚型Ⅱ,兔肝金属硫蛋白亚型Ⅰ和兔肝金属硫蛋白亚型Ⅱ）的单体和二聚体进行了水溶液条件下的分子动力学模拟。其中大鼠金属硫蛋白亚型Ⅱ的结构直接来自于晶体数据,兔肝金属硫蛋白亚型Ⅰ和Ⅱ的结构则通过同源蛋白模型搭建。动力学模拟的结果显示,这三种单体在水溶液中都具有相当大的柔性,柔性主要来源于柔性区的氨基酸残基。三类金属硫蛋白单体的动力学模拟均表明α结构域的动力学稳定性都要优于     

Differential ESI-MS behaviour of highly similar metallothioneins

ESI-MS can only be accepted as a quantification method when using standards with a high resemblance to the analyte(s). Unfortunately, this is usually not applicable to metallothioneins (MTs), a superfamily of singular metal-binding cysteine-rich proteins, present in all living organisms, since the absence of suitable reference material due to the high diversity among metal-MT species precludes their quantification by molecular mass spectrometry. Even thus, it is widely assumed that the intensities of the ESI-MS peaks of similar species are directly correlated with their relative concentration in the sample, and this has been extended to the determination of different MT proteins coexisting in a sample.Practically all organisms contain several MT isoforms, some of them exhibiting highly similar sequences, with conserved coordinating Cys residues. For the current analysis, we used as a model system the MT isoforms of two terrestrial snails (Helix pomatia and Cornu aspersum). Hence, distinct samples were prepared by mixing, at different molar ratios, the recombinant HpCuMT and HpCdMT isoforms from H. pomatia, or the recombinant CaCuMT, CaCdMT and CaCdCuMT isoforms from C. aspersum, and they were analyzed by ESI-MS both at neutral pH (for Zn-loaded MT forms) and at acidic pH (for the corresponding apo-forms). The results here presented reveal that the ESI-MS peak intensity of a single MT species strongly depends on its sensitivity to be ionized, and thus, on the presence or absence of metal ions bound. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that very similar MT isoforms of the same organism with similar pI (ranging from 7.9 to 8.3) can show a clear different sensitivity to ES ionization, something that cannot be readily predicted only by consideration of their amino acid content. In conclusion, even in this optimum case, deductions about quantity features of MT samples drawn from ESI-MS measurements should be carefully considered.     

Characterization of denatured metallothioneins by reversed phase coupled with on-line chemical vapour generation and atomic fluorescence spectrometric detection

A new analytical hyphenated technique is proposed for determination and characterization of thiolic proteins, based on reverse phase chromatography (RPC) coupled on-line with cold vapour generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVGAFS). Proteins are pre-column simultaneously denatured and derivatized in phosphate buffer solution containing 8.0 mol l(-1) urea and p-hydroxymercurybenzoate (PHMB). The derivatized proteins are separated on a C4 Vydac Reverse Phase column. Post-column on-line reaction of derivatized denatured proteins with bromine, generated in situ by KBr/KBrO3 in HCl medium, allowed the fast conversion of both the uncomplexed PHMB and of the PHMB bound to proteins to inorganic mercury, also in the presence of methanol in the RPC eluent phase. Hg(II) is selectively detected by AFS in a Ar/H2 miniaturized flame after sodium borohydride reduction to Hg degrees. Under optimized conditions, on-line bromine treatment gives a 98+/-2% recovery of both free and protein-complexed PHMB. The effect of methanol on the sensitivity of Hg(II) detection was studied and controlled. RPC-CVGAFS system has been applied to the analysis of metallothioneins from rabbit liver (MT(RL)) standard solutions, and their commercial isoforms MT-1 and MT-2. The analysis of denatured, PHMB-complexed MTs allowed the determination of the number of thiolic groups complexed by PHMB. It was found that MTs from rabbit liver have 10.0+/-0.3 (MT-1) and 6.7+/-0.3 (MT-2 and MT(RL)) -SH groups complexed by PHMB. The detection limit (LODc) for PHMB in 95% methanol in the optimized conditions was about 9.3 x 10(-9) mol l(-1) and for the denatured MTs LODc was about 8.6 x 10(-10) mol l(-1), taking into account an approximate complexating ratio PHMB:MTs of 7:1.     

Characterisation of human metallothioneins from foetal liver and adult kidney using differential pulse polarography

The electrochemical behaviour of four human metallothioneins (MT) from foetal liver and adult kidney with respect to solution pH as well as the influence of the addition of cadmium and/or zinc were studied using differential pulse polarography. The complexation equilibrium of dissociation and the formation from their metal depleted form was investigated, going from basic to acid solution and vice versa. The stability of these human MTs with respect to changes in the pH of the solution is low. In fact, the complexation equilibrium is not reversible and consequently, the protein, at acid pH, is denatured and the metal binding capacity to complex the cations through the thiol groups is lost. In the case of some of these MTs two different electrochemical responses due to the reduction of complexed Cd(II), as well as to the Zn(II) complexes were distinguished. The predominance of each of these two species for both cations seems to depend on the total concentration, on the ratio between zinc and cadmium concentrations and on the solution pH. In each of the molecules studied, the addition of zinc provokes the transformation of the peak attributed to the Cd-Thionein complex CdT, initially found in the native MT, into another form, CdT′, having different characteristics to the initial one. The MTs are able to incorporate the added metal ions into their molecule. This implies a new reorganisation of the initial molecule in which both cadmium and zinc complexes are involved. The apparent stability constants of the Cd-MT, Zn-MT and Hg-MT complexes were estimated at different pH values.     

Characterization of the metal composition of metallothionein isoforms using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with atomic absorption spectrophotometric detection

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was used to separate metallothionein (MT) isoforms and on-line atomic absorption spectrophotometric (AAS) detection was used to quantitatively determine their metal content. With this coupled system (HPLC-AAS), it was possible to determine the zinc, cadmium and copper content of individual horse kidney MT isoforms. When rabbit liver MT and the purified isoforms (MT-1 and MT-2) were subjected to RP-HPLC and the zinc-containing peaks of the MT sample to MT-1 or MT-2. HPLC-AAS was used to identify zinc-induced MT in heat-treated cytosol from turkey hen liver, thereby demonstrating its application to the analysis of crude tissue extracts. A standard curve was established using turkey liver MT for the quantitative determination of the zinc content of MT isoforms. There was excellent linear correlation between the micrograms of zinc bound to MT injected onto the column (ranging from 0.34 to 3.43 micrograms of MT-bond zinc) and the integrated peak area of the atomic absorbance for zinc. Using this standard curve, it was possible to quantitate the amount of MT-bound zinc in cytosol extracts of cultured turkey embryo hepatocytes exposed to varying levels of supplemental zinc in the culture medium.     

兔肝金属硫蛋白亚型异构体的高效液相色谱分离与ESI-MS,MALDI-TOF-MS鉴定

由于金属硫蛋白(MT)基因的多态性,决定不同亚型的MT异构体的存在,MT亚型异构体的结构是MT功能研究的基础.通过离子交换柱可将MT分成MT-1和MT-2两个异构体,用不同条件的反相高效液相色谱(RP-HPLC)可将MT-1和MT-2分成不同的亚型异构体,并利用MALDI-TOFMS和LC-ESI-MS对比确定了它们的分子量.结果表明,兔肝MT在不同的pH条件下分离得到不同分子量的亚型异构体.在酸性条件下,MT-1可分为2个主要亚型异构体,分子量分别为6149.0和6244.5,而MT-2主要分为3个亚型异构体,分子量分别为6149.0,6244.0和6127.0.MT-1和MT-2有2个亚型异构体分子量相同的异构体存在.在酸性条件下,MT-1的2个异构体及MT-2分子量为6127的亚型异构体可稳定存在.     

Electrochemistry of and Redox‐Induced Metal Release from Metallothioneins at a Nafion‐Coated Bismuth Film Electrode

Nafion‐coated bismuth film electrodes (NCBiFEs) were used to investigate the redox behavior of and metal release from rabbit liver metallothioneins (MTs) in an acetate buffer. Owing to the permselective exchange between positively charged MT molecules and cations in Nafion and the absence of detectable MT adsorption at bismuth surface, a diffusion‐controlled Nernstian redox wave of MTs (E_pc=?0.869 V) was observed for the first time. The Nernstian behavior of the diffusing MTs is in contrast to the voltammetric responses of MTs at thin mercury films or Nafion‐coated mercury film electrodes, which either result in the replacement of the metals originally present in MTs by mercury or lead to a noticeable MT adsorption. By avoiding these undesirable features, the NCBiFE provides an excellent milieu for voltammetric studies of different types of MTs and related isoforms, paving the way for studying the redox‐modulated metal transfer of MTs and understanding the biological role of MTs in heavy metal detoxification and essential metal regulations.     

Metallothioneins from horse kidney studied by separation with capillary zone electrophoresis below and above the isoelectric points

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was used to study metallothionein (MT) isoforms and non-MT components in the horse kidney MT preparation produced by Sigma. This technique was found to be well suited for studies of such forms. The non-MTs are heat resistant, they do not bind metal, but comigrate with MT in the various systems generally used for MT isolations. These forms may cause discrepancies between claimed MT content and sample weight as well as confusion in MT identification. The functional metal binding ability in the Sigma sample was measured, and the elution profile from an anion exchange column, commonly used for separation of tissue MTs, was determined in order to ascertain the MT-I isoform content. Optimum conditions for the separation of the MT isoforms have been studied in the polyacrylamide coated capillary at pHs below and above the isoelectric points (pIs) in various buffer systems. Evidence is put forward that MT forms oligomers or aggregates in the metal binding situation at pHs above pI. Our results may indicate that the oligomerized MT-IA form binds additional Cd atoms than the expected number of seven per monomer.     

Detection of artefacts and peak identification in reversed-phase HPLC of metallothioneins by electrospray mass spectrometry

The use of ion-spray mass spectrometry rendered it possible to characterize the signals obtained during studies of the polymorphism of metallothionein (MT) by reversed-phase (RP) HPLC in terms of the molecular mass. Artefact signals due to incomplete metallation, exchange of metals with the impurities of the column stationary phase and cross-contamination of the preparations purified by size-exclusion and anion-exchange chromatography may be present. On the other hand, some signals in RP HPLC with UV detection considered to belong to a single species were found to be composed of several complexes eluting precisely at the same time. On-line electrospray mass spectrometry was used to systematize the knowledge of the MT isoforms and subisoforms by attributing to each of the eluting peaks the molecular mass of the form involved and can be used to compare the results obtained for the different groups.     

金属硫蛋白的色谱/电喷雾电离质谱联用表征方法

通过反相液相色谱(RPLC)与电喷雾电离质谱(ESI-MS)的联用技术,对镉诱导金属硫蛋白标准物质MT-1和MT-2的结构进行表征分析。采用Vydac C8 反相色谱柱(250 mm×2.1 mm i.d., 5 μm, 30 nm),流动相A为pH 6.0的5 mmol/L乙酸铵水溶液,流动相B为pH 6.0的5 mmol/L乙酸铵的甲醇-水(体积比为1∶1)溶液,流动相流速为0.20 mL/min,在40 min内流动相B的体积分数从10%增加到37.5%进行梯度洗脱。分别用紫外(UV)和ESI-M     

金属硫蛋白异构体及亚型异构体的液相色谱分离与质谱鉴别

建立了金属硫蛋白(MT)异构体及亚型异构体的色谱分离与质谱鉴别方法。将金属硫蛋白混合物通过弱阴离子DEAE Sephadex A-25离子交换柱,结合离线电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)对锌诱导金属硫蛋白的两个异构体MT-1和MT-2进行分离和检测;利用Sephadex G-25凝胶排阻色谱柱对得到的两个金属硫蛋白异构体进行脱盐;探索脱盐后的金属硫蛋白异构体在不同色谱条件下的C18反相色谱柱上的保留行为,进而实现各个亚型异构体的分离;通过在线电喷雾质谱检测实现了对金属硫蛋白各个亚型异构体的鉴别。结果表明,通过优化色谱条件,由离子交换色谱及凝胶排阻色谱得到的金属硫蛋白各亚型异构体在酸性条件下均得到了良好的分离,质谱检测结果与前人的文献报道结果一致。该方法可使金属硫蛋白各异构体均达到最佳的分离效果。     

Analysis of metallothioneins by the modified Brdicka procedure

Quantitative analysis of metallothioneins (MTs) by the modified Brdicka procedure is based on the evaluation of the catalytic hydrogen signal (Cat). The effect of the basic physico-chemical parameters, the temperature and the depolarizer concentration (Co(NH(3))(6)Cl(3)), on the Cat signal height and the respective calibration straight lines was studied by means of the differential pulse (DP) mode at the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). The temperature was varied from 7 to 18 degrees C, and the depolarizer concentration from 1.2x10(-4) to 1.0x10(-3) M Co(NH(3))(6)Cl(3). The commercially available rabbit liver MT was used as the calibrant. The parameters of the calibration straight lines, the standard errors of the intercept s(a) and the slope s(b) were evaluated by means of the least-square method. The hypothesis of a significant difference of the estimated value of the intercept on y-axis compared to the zero value was statistically tested. For those conditions for which this hypothesis was rejected the measuring conditions of the catalytic hydrogen signal are selected and they refer to a buffer 1M (NH(4)Cl+NH(4)OH), pH 9.5, (7.0+/-0.5) degrees C and the depolarizer concentration (0.8 or 1.0)x10(-3) M Co(NH(3))(6)Cl(3).