Biochemical and Immunochemical Characterization of Caenorhabditis elegans Metallothioneins I and II Induced by Cadmium

摘要

Metallothioneins in Caenorhahditis elegans (CeMT-Ⅰ and Ⅱ) were punned by the combination of gel filtration ion-exchange chromatography.and high-performance liquid chromatography.Amino acid compositions and amino-terminal sequences of CeMT-Ⅰ and Ⅱ were slightly different from those of vertebrate MTs previously reported, although cysteine residue contents were relatively high.Enzyme immunoassay using anti-CeMT-Ⅱ antibody showed the difference of antigenicity to rat MT-Ⅰ and Ⅱ and even to CeMT-Ⅰ. Immunohistochemical staining revealed the existence of CeMT-Ⅱ in the intestine and the eggs, suggesting the role of MT in detoxification and homeostasis of heavv metals. 1990 Academic Press.Inc.