Cadmium and copper metallothioneins in the American lobster, Homarus americanus
Lobsters were fed cadmium-rich oysters for 28 days, and the induction of cadmium metallothionein and its relation to concentrations of cadmium, copper, and zinc in the digestive gland and gills was determined. A portion of the tissues also was retained for determining the cytosolic distribution of these metals by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The digestive gland contained a majority of the cadmium, copper, and zinc, and both cadmium and zinc were actively accumulated from the oysters. Gel chromatography of the digestive gland cytosol showed that initially only copper was bound to a protein with a molecular weight in the range of metallothionein (i.e., 10,000-7000). However, after feeding on cadmium-laden oysters for 28 days, both cadmium and copper were bound to the metallothioneinlike protein. Further purification of the cadmium/copper protein by ion-exchange chromatography showed that a large portion of the copper and all of the cadmium did not bind to DEAE-Sephacel. The induction of cadmium metallothionein in the digestive gland is correlated with tissue cadmium concentration. Coincident with the induction of the cadmium metallothionein was a cytosolic redistribution of copper. The distribution of zinc was not affected.
- Research Organization:
- NOAA, Beaufort, NC
- OSTI ID:
- 5431335
- Journal Information:
- Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States) Vol. 65; ISSN EVHPA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
560304* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Invertebrates-- (-1987)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CADMIUM
CHEMICAL ACTIVATION
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COPPER
CRUSTACEANS
DECAPODS
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
GILLS
INVERTEBRATES
ION EXCHANGE CHROMATOGRAPHY
LOBSTERS
METALLOPROTEINS
METALLOTHIONEIN
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROTEINS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SYNTHESIS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZINC