Induction of Rat Liver Metallothionein MRNA and Its Distribution Between Free and Membrane-bound Polyribosomes

Overview

Journal Biochem J

Specialty Biochemistry

Date 1980 Sep 15

PMID 7470077

Citations 3

Authors

S G Shapiro

R J Cousins

Affiliations

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Abstract

Total, membrane-bound and free polyribosomes were purified from livers of Zn2+-treated and control rats. Polyadenylated RNA was separated from the polyribosomal RNA extracts by oligo(dT)--cellulose chromatography and translated in a wheat-germ cell-free translation system. Newly synthesized 35S-labelled metallothionein was isolated from the other [35S]methionine-labelled translation products by activated-thiol--Sepharose 4B chromatography. The purity of the 35S-labelled metallothionein product was substantiated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Zinc administration resulted in an elevation of metallothionein mRNA activity to 11% of the total polyribosomal mRNA activity. The vast majority of biologically active metallothionein mRNA was localized in the free polyribosomal pool, at least 94% and 97% in control and zinc-treated rats respectively. The increase in the percentage of polyribosomal mRNA coding for metallothionein after zinc administration was 3-fold, whether measured directly in total polyribosomal mRNA or as a combination derived from membrane-bound and free polyribosomal mRNA. These data indicate that the induction of metallothionein mRNA by zinc involves only free polyribosomes and suggest that the function of metallothionein is limited to intracellular processes.

Citing Articles

Induction of hepatic synthesis of serum amyloid A protein and actin.

Morrow J, Stearman R, Peltzman C, Potter D Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981; 78(8):4718-22.

PMID: 6946420 PMC: 320234. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.78.8.4718.

Augmentation of dexamethasone induction of rat liver metallothionein by zinc.

QUINONES S, Cousins R Biochem J. 1984; 219(3):959-63.

PMID: 6743254 PMC: 1153568. DOI: 10.1042/bj2190959.

Metallothionein--aspects related to copper and zinc metabolism.

Cousins R J Inherit Metab Dis. 1983; 6 Suppl 1:15-21.

PMID: 6413769 DOI: 10.1007/BF01811318.

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