• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.15-19
• /
• 2003

Metallothionein gene expression activity of cadmium was investigated in a human lung epithelial cell line. Cells, grown to near confluence, were exposed to 0∼10 ${\mu}$M Cd metal for 6 hours. Cadmium did not cause morphological alteration in lung epithelial cells that are characteristic of cell damages such as cell shrinkage, detachment of the cell from its neighbors, cytoplasmic and chromatic condensation. However, metallothionein genes of MT-1 and MT-2 were rapidly induced in the treated cell measured by RT-PCR. Regarding the induction pattern of motallothionein mRNA, MT-1 mRNA was induced in a dependent manner. MT-2 mRNA induction, which was measured using oligo primers based on cDNA of human reticulocytes, seemed to be slightly increased in low doses but decreased at high concentration used in the experiment.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.59-64
• /
• 2004

Metallothionein gene expression of diesel exhaust particles (DEP) was investigated in human lung epithelial cell line. DEP was collected from diesel motor bus and soluble fraction in water was obtained. Cells, grown to near confluence, were exposed to 5-50 ppm DEP for 6 hours. Regarding the metallothionein gene expressions, MT-1 and MT-2 were induced in the DEP-treated cell by using RT-PCR and real-time PCR. However, MT-3 which is known to be brain specific, and another isoform MT-4 were not expressed in cadmium-treated groups as well as control group. Heavy metal of DEP was also analyzed and Zn was found as the major component of heavy metals in DEP used in this study.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.263-266
• /
• 2001

Metallothionein (MT) is induced in the regenerating rat liver. We have investigated expression of MT gene by RT PCR as well as specific localization of MT by immunocytochemistry in regenerating rat liver after partial hepatectomy (PH). MT mRNA level started to increase from 1 h and reached the peak at 8 h after PH. The level decreased gradually by 24 h, and became similar to that of control group. In the immunocytochemical study, in all groups treated with primary antibody, immunogold particles indicating the presence of MT were evenly distributed throughout both cytoplasm and nucleus of the rat hepatocytes. Within the nucleus, the gold particles appeared to be intensely localized in the areas of euchromatin and nucleolus. Within the cytoplasm, gold particles did not seem to adhere to mitochondria or Iysosomes, but were freely distributed. However, rough endoplasmic reticulum was the obvious compartment on which the gold particles were localized. Time course of MT immunoreactivity revealed that distribution of gold particles in hepatocytes increased gradually by 24 h, and decreased at 48 h after PH. Briefly, PH resulted in the sharpest increase in the expression of MT mRNA at 8 h and in the immunoreactivity of MT at 24 h, respectively. It is suggested that the increase of MT mRNA expression, the intensity of immunoreactivity and the specific localization of MT may be associated with the compensatory cell proliferation followed by PH.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.191-200
• /
• 2004

Zinc (Zn) is an essential element in biological process, however inadequate Zn status in general population have been recognized. To update the knowledge for Zn-cadmium (Cd) interaction, we studied the intestinal uptake and transport, and the expression of metal transporter proteins (divalent metal transporter 1, DMT1 ; metal transporter protein 1, MTP1 ; zinc transporter 1, ZnTl ; metallothionein 1 , MT1) in duodenum after Cd exposure using Zn deficient animal model. Rats were led Zn deficient (ZnD, 0.5-1.0 mgZn/kg) or Zn supplemented (ZnS, 50mg Zn/kg) diet for 4 weeks, and followed single administration of $^{109}$ CdCl$_2$orally. The body Zn flatus and tissue Cd concentration were determined at 24 hrs after Cd administration. Total body burden of Cd and Cd absorption index (AI, %) were estimated based on the tissue Cd analyzed. DMT1, MTP1, ZnTl and MT1 mRNA were analyzed by using RT-PCR method. Feeding of Zn deficient diet for 4 weeks produced a reduced body weight gain and a depletion of body Zn. Tissue Cd concentration, body burden of Cd and Cd absorption index were higher in the ZnD diet fed rats than the ZnS diet red rats. Especially, Cd concentration in the small intestine (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) and the colon of FeD diet fed rats were higher markedly than in the FeS diet group. The expression levels of DMT1, MTP1 and ZnT1 mRNA in FeD diet fed rats were similar to the FeS diet. The level of MT1 mRNA expression was significantly lower in the FeD than the FeS diet fed rats. Taken together, theses results indicate that Zn deficiency in diet induce an increased intestinal absorption and tissue retention of Cd, and down -regulate the MT1 expression in the intestine which might be play a part of role in Cd absorption and transport in mammalian. These findings suggest that deficiency of essential metal could be enhanced the toxicity of toxic, non-esstial metals through the metal-metal interaction.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.126-140
• /
• 2011

Genetic determinants of two metallothionein isoforms (MT-A and MT-B) were isolated and characterized from the perciform species, rockbream (Oplegnathus fasciatus). Rockbream MT-A and MT-B shared a high degree of homology at amino acid levels with representative orthologs from other perciform species, especially with respect to the conserved cysteine residues. At the genomic level, both MT-A and MT-B genes represent a tripartite structure typical of vertebrate MT genes. However, rockbream MT-B showed unusually large introns (1.2 kb and 0.8 kb for intron I and II, respectively), a phenomenon that has rarely been seen in other vertebrate MT genes. MT-A and MT-B transcripts were ubiquitously detected in a wide array of tissues, wherein brain and eye showed the highest basal expression levels, and the fin exhibited the lowest expression of both isoforms. The basal expression of MT-A in most tissues was significantly higher (ranging from 4- to 10-fold) than that of MT-B. Upon heavy metal exposures to Cd, Cu or Zn at 25 ppb for 48 h, MT-A and MT-B transcripts in the liver were significantly activated by Cd and moderately by Zn. On the other hand, exposure to Cu did not result in alterations of MT-A, nor in the significant suppression of MT-B. Following bacterial challenges with Escherichia coli, Edwardsiella tarda or Streptococcus iniae, MT isoforms in the liver, kidney and spleen were highly modulated and exhibited a pattern that was dependent on the bacterial species, tissues and isoforms. These results suggest that the two MT isoforms could be taken into account as potential indicators of metal toxicity and immune perturbations of this aquaculture-relevant species.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.61-69
• /
• 2011

Gene and promoter structures of metallothionein(MT) from Miho spine loach (Cobitis choii; Cypriniformes) were characterized, and the transcriptional responses to experimental exposures to heavy metals and heat stress were examined. The C. choii metallothionein displayed well-conserved features of teleostean metallothioneins at gDNA, mRNA and amino acid levels. Bioinformatic analysis predicted that the C. choii MT regulatory region potentially possessed various motifs or elements targeted by various transcription factors associated with metal-coordinating regulation (e.g., metal transcription factor-1), immune responses (e.g., nuclear factor kappa B), and thermal modulations (e.g., heat shock factor). Acute heavy-metal exposures to 0.5 or $1.0\;{\mu}M$ of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) or zinc (Zn) showed that MT transcription was significantly stimulated by Cd (9.6-fold relative to non-exposed control) and Cu (10.4-fold), only moderately by Mn (2.4-fold), but hardly by Ni and Zn. Elevation of water temperature from $25^{\circ}C$ to $31^{\circ}C$ caused a rapid modulation of MT mRNAs toward upregulation to 9.5-fold; however, afterward the elevated mRNA level slightly decreased during further incubation at $31^{\circ}C$ for 6 h. Results from this study suggest that MT-based expression assay could be a useful basis for better understanding the metal- and/or heat-caused stresses in this endangered fish species.

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
• /
• 2004.05a
• /
• pp.68-68
• /
• 2004

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.143-152
• /
• 1992

Metallothionein is an essential and common protein to regulate the intracellular concentration of heavy metals, which exist in most organisms from bacteria to vertebrates. Although the detailed function of metallothianein has not been fully identified until yet, it may be involoved in the cellular protection against the heavy metal toxicity and in the global regulation of several other genes and the expression of metalloproteins. We have cloned the full cDNA clone of metallothionein gene in Channel Catfish by Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction(RT-PCR) starting from poly(A)-containing mRNAs. All PCR fragments have been subcloned into EcoRV site of pBluescript SK+ and dT-tailed at Smal site of pUC19, then PCR products are recovered by the double digestion of recombinant plasmids wiht EcoRI and HindIII, which are adjacent to EcoRV site in multicloning sites or by rapid PCR screening. The nucleotide sequence analysis of pMT150(one of the PCR clones) showed high homology with several other piscine metallothionein cDNA genes.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.261-269
• /
• 2004

Although the biological functions of metallothioneins (MTs) are still being investigated, they have been suggested to be involved in detoxification of heavy metals, scavenging of free radicals, and protection against alkylating agents. MTs have been reported to be induced in most of animal tissues by heavy metals such as zinc, copper, mercury and cadmium, and the proteins have binding affinities to the metals. However, the presence or induction of MTs was reported not to be clear in leydig cells, which produce testosterone for the maturation of spermatozoa in male testes. In this study, we investigated the inducibility of metallothionein isomers by cadmium in cultured mouse leydig cells. Total RNA was extracted from the near confluent grown leydig cells and RT-PCR was Performed using the Primers which were synthesized on the basis of MT-1, 2, 3 and 4 cDNA from GenBank database. As results, MT-1 and MT-2 mRNA were found to be expressed in cadmium non-treated control cells and MT 1 mRNA expression was dose-dependent when leydig cells were treated with cadmium chloride. But MT-3 which is known to be brain specific and MT-4 which is another isoform of metallothionein, were not expressed. Other genes induced or depressed in cadmium treated leydig cells were also identified by microarray techniques.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.85-90
• /
• 2004

Nickel(II) compounds are carcinogenic metals which induce genotoxicity and oxidative stress through the generation of reactive oxygen species. In search of new molecular pathways toward understanding the molecular mechanism of nickel(II)-induced carcinogensis, we performed mRNA differential display analysis using total RNA extracted from nickel(II) acetate-treated normal rat kidney cells (NRK-52E). Cells were exposed for 3 days to 160 and 240 uM nickel(II) concentrations. cDNAs corresponding to mRNAs for which expression levels were altered by nickel(II) were isolated, sequenced, and followed by a GenBank Blast homology search. Specificity of differential expression of cDNAs was determined by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Two of them (SH3BGRL3 and FHIT) were down-regulated and one (metallothionein) was up-regulated by nickel(II) treatment. The expression of these mRNAs were nickel(II) concentration-dependent. The levels of FHIT and metallothionein proteins were also consistent with the results for mRNAs. Overall, although the fundamental questions related to function of these genes in nickel(II)-mediated carcinogenicity are not answered, our study suggests that they can be interesting candidates for studies of molecular mechanisms of nickel(II) carcinogenesis.