• Toxicological Research
• /
• 제13권1_2호
• /
• pp.103-110
• /
• 1997

This study was performed to investigate the effects of cadmium chloride on the acute and chronic toxicity on rats. Several toxic effects of cadmium has been shown following short-term and longterm pretreatment with cadmium and zinc. Four groups of rats (A, B, C, D), each consisting of 16 rats, were studied and each group was divided into four subgroups (1, 2, 3, 4), 4 rats for each subgroup. Rats were subcutaneously pretreated with $CdCl_2$ (0.5 mg/kg, A & C), and $ZnCl_2$ (13.0 mg/kg, B & D) during time periods of 1 weeks (group A & B) and 6 weeks (group C & D). At the end of the period, rats were challenged with $CdCl_2$ (3.0, 6.0 and 9.0 mg/kg, i.p.). After giving the challenge dose, cadmium and metallothionein(MT) concentrations were determined. The concentrations of cadmium were higher in the liver than the kidney irrelevantly to cadmium and zinc pretreatment and increased dose-dependently to the challenge dosage. The metallothioneins showed higher concentrations in the liver than the kidney following cadmium pretreatment and were higher in the long-term pretreatment groups than the short-term pretreatment groups in the liver and the kidney of rats. These data suggest that metallothioneins are induced preferentially in the liver by pretreatment of cadmium and then, formed in the form of Cd-MT, may play an important role in the nephrotoxicity.

• 생명과학회지
• /
• 제21권4호
• /
• pp.529-533
• /
• 2011

라미닌-1에 의해 분화가 유도되는 것으로 알려져 있는 HSG 및 PC-12에서는 라미닌-1에 의해 MT 유전자의 발현이 유도되었지만 반면 분화 역량을 지니지 않은 암세포인 유방암(MDA-231, MDA-435) 세포와 전립선 암인 PC-3 세포에서는 라미닌-1의 처리가 MT 유전자의 변화에 영향을 미치지 못하는 것이 관찰되었다. 라미닌-1에 의해 분화가 유도되는 현상 및 이에 따른 MT 유전자의 발현증가가 암의 전이 능력 및 악성화와 관계가 있는지를 관찰하기 위해 정상에서부터 전이 및 악성 정도가 다른 5가지 종류의 전립선 암을 대상으로 라미닌-1에 의한 MT 유전자의 발현 변화를 관찰한 결과 정상적인 전립선 외피세포인 RWPE-1과 전이 및 악성화가 낮은 WPE1-NA22의 경우 라미닌-1에 의해 MT 유전자의 발현이 증가하였으며, 악성화 정도가 높은 WPE1-NB14, WPE1-NB11, 및 WPE1-NB26에서는 라미닌-1의 처리에도 MT 유전자의 발현이 증가하지 않는 것이 관찰되었다. 이러한 결과를 통해 라미닌-1은 정상 세포의 분화를 유도하며 이에 따라 MT 유전자를 유도하며 분화가 유도되지 않는 악성 암에서는 MT 유전자의 발현이 유도되지 않는 것으로 확인되었다.

• 한국환경보건학회지
• /
• 제21권4호
• /
• pp.87-95
• /
• 1995

The concentrations of cadmium, metallothionein(MT), superoxide dismutase(SOD), and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) were investigated in liver and kidney of rats which were fed the water containing 100 ppm cadmium chloride with basal diet and 5% Agaricus bisporus diet during 16 weeks. Cadmium concentrations in liver and kidney increased during 16 weeks, and there were significantly higher accumulation of cadmium in the kidney than in the liver. The concentrations of MTs in liver and kidney decreased linearly during 16 weeks, but there was no significant difference between control and experimental group. MT concentrations of liver were significantly higher than those of kidney. The superoxide dismutase activities and lactate dehydrogenase activities were not affected by the diet, but there was a significant difference by the duration of administration. These data indicate that the kidney is a major target organ of chronic cadmium poisoning, and suggest that Cd-induced hepatic injury, via release of Cd-MT, may play an important role in the nephrotoxicity. In conclusion, induction of MT occurs in both the liver and the kidney after administration of $CdCl_2$. However, the kidney is less responsive than the liver to the induction of MT by cadmium, which may contribute to making the kidney the target organ of toxicity during chronic Cd exposure.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• 제37권7호
• /
• pp.532-539
• /
• 2014

We isolated a rice (Oryza sativa L.) WRKY gene which is highly upregulated in senescent leaves, denoted OsWRKY42. Analysis of OsWRKY42-GFP expression and its effects on transcriptional activation in maize protoplasts suggested that the OsWRKY42 protein functions as a nuclear transcriptional repressor. OsWRKY42-overexpressing (OsWR KY42OX) transgenic rice plants exhibited an early leaf senescence phenotype with accumulation of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) hydrogen peroxide and a reduced chlorophyll content. Expression analysis of ROS producing and scavenging genes revealed that the metallothionein genes clustered on chromosome 12, especially OsMT1d, were strongly repressed in OsWRKY42OX plants. An OsMT1d promoter:LUC construct was found to be repressed by OsWRKY42 overexpression in rice protoplasts. Finally, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated that OsWRKY42 binds to the W-box of the OsMT1d promoter. Our results thus suggest that OsWRKY42 represses OsMT1d-mediated ROS scavenging and thereby promotes leaf senescence in rice.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• 제20권6호
• /
• pp.8.1-8.18
• /
• 2017

Background: Metallothionein (MT) is a multifunctional protein playing important roles in homeostatic regulation and detoxification of metals. Mollusk species have been considered as useful sentinel platforms for MT-based biomarker approaches, and they have been reported to display an extraordinary structural diversity of MT proteins. However, potential diversity of molluskan MTs has not been fully explored and recent updates have suggested the need of revision of evolutionary hypothesis for molluskan MTs. Results: Based on bioinformatic analysis and phylogenetic evidences, novel divergence mechanisms and paths were hypothesized in both gastropod and bivalve MT groups. Our analyses are suggestive of the taxon- or lineage-specific domain multiplication/duplication from the ancestral or prototypic MT. Diversification and selection of molluskan MTs might be driven by the needs for acquiring metal selectiveness, specialized novel function, and improved capacity of metal detoxification under environmentally stressed conditions. Conclusion: The structural diversity and variations of molluskan MTs are significantly larger than previously understood. Undoubtedly, molluskan MTs have undergone dynamic divergent processes in their evolutionary histories, giving rise to the great diversity of domain structures in extant MT isoforms. Novel evolutionary paths for molluskan MTs newly proposed in this review could shed additional light onto the revision of the hypothesis for evolutionary differentiation of MTs in the molluskan lineage.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제39권5호
• /
• pp.595-606
• /
• 2006

Metallothioneins are a group of low molecular mass and cysteine-rich metal-binding proteins, ubiquitously found in most living organisms. They play an important role in maintaining intracellular metal homeostasis, eliminating metal toxification and protecting against intracellular oxidative damages. Analysis of complete rice genome sequences revealed eleven genes encoding putative metallothionein (OsMT), indicating that OsMTs constitute a small gene family in rice. Expression profiling revealed that each member of the OsMT gene family differs not only in sequence but also in their tissue expression patterns, suggesting that these isoforms may have different functions they perform in specific tissues. On the basis of OsMT structural and phylogenetic analysis, the OsMT family was classified as two classes and class I was subdivided into four types. Additionally, in this paper we also present a complete overview of this family, describing the gene structure, genome localization, upstream regulatory element, and exon/intron organization of each member in order to provide valuable insight into this OsMT gene family.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제17권5호
• /
• pp.728-732
• /
• 2007

In the present article, a novel fusion expression vector for Escherichia coli was developed based on the pTORG plasmid, a derivative of pET32a. This vector, named pT7MT(GenBank Accession No DQ504436), carries a T7 promoter and it drives the downstream gene encoding Metallothionein 2A(MT2A). There are in-framed multiple cloning sites(MCS) downstream of the MT2A gene. A target gene can be cloned into the MCS and fused to the C-terminal of the MT2A gene in a compatible open reading frame(ORF) to achieve fusion expression. The metal-binding capability of MT2A allows the purification of fusion proteins by metal chelating affinity chromatography, known as $Ni^{2+}$-affinity chromatography. Using this expression vector, we successfully got the stable and high-yield expression of MT2A-GST and MT2A-Troponin I fusion proteins. These two proteins were easily purified from the supernatant of cell lysates by one-step $Ni^{2+}$-affinity chromatography. The final yields of MT2A-GST and MT2A-Troponin I were 30mg/l and 28mg/l in LB culture, respectively. Taken together, our data suggest that pT7MT can be applied as a useful expression vector for stable and high-yield production of fusion proteins.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• 제19권4호
• /
• pp.389-399
• /
• 2004

Metallothionein (MT), a small protein molecule which can bind or release metal ions, is involved in the regulation of cellular metal homeostasis. This study was investigated the accumulation of cadmium in blood, tissue (liver, kidney and brain), and the effect of cadmium on several key genes (MT-I, MT-II, ZnT-1) in zinc metabolism in the mouse. Mouses weighing 20∼25 g were randomly assigned to control and cadmium treated group (Cd group). Cd group was intraperitoneally injected with cadmium 2, 4, 8 mg/kg and control group was administerd with saline. Mouses of each group were sacrificed by decapitation 4 hours after the administration of cadmium. Cadmium contents in blood, liver, kidney and brain were increased by a dose-dependent manner. Accumulation of cadmium was mainly occurred in liver and kidney. Induction of MT-I and MT-II protein was increased, but ZnT-1 expression was decreased in a dose-dependent manner by the treatment of 2∼8 mg/kg cadmium. These results suggested that cadmium can be transported to brain and alter the expression of several key genes in zinc homeostasis.

• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회 2002년도 Molecular and Cellular Response to Toxic Substances
• /
• pp.51-58
• /
• 2002

• Toxicological Research
• /
• 제11권2호
• /
• pp.235-239
• /
• 1995

This study was conducted to investigate the metallothionein (MT) induction by Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer in cadmium chloride intoxication. The results were as follows: Generally, detoxicatlon effects by Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer extract increased proportionally to the increase of cadmium concentrations. When a 8 mg/g dosage of cadmium was administered, formation of the cadmium and EDTA complex showed the highest antitoxic effect. Also, when a 4 mg/g dosage of cadmium was administered, Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer extract showed the highest antitoxic effect in metallothionein induction. According to the above results, Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer extract administered with cadmium increased metallothionein concentration and decreased the toxicity of cadmium in liver.