ISSN:
1432-0703
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
,
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract. Green lipped mussels, Perna viridis, were exposed to cadmium chloride (CdCl2; 0.52 and 1 μg/ml) in water for 4 days. The concentrations of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were measured in the viscera, gill, gonads, mantle, and muscle. There was a significant increase (p〈0.05) in Cd concentration in all tissues studied. Results from Sephadex G-75 chromatography indicated that most Cd was bound to a fraction of heat-stable proteins similar to the metal-binding protein (MBP) metallothionein. After exposure to Cd, there was no significant change in Cu concentration in total tissue proteins or in total cytosolic proteins. A significant increase (p〈0.05) in Cu, however, was detected in heat-stable proteins bound to the Cd-induced MBP in both viscera and gill. Copper bound to MBP also occurred in the gonad, mantle, and muscle, but to a much lesser extent. These results showed that Cd-induced MBP can also bind endogenous Cu. Zinc concentration in total heat-stable protein was increased only in gill and the muscle. Unlike Cu, a small amount of Zn binding to Cd-induced MBP was detected only in these tissues. Considering that both Cu and Zn exist intracellularly in dynamic equilibrium, the binding of Cu, but not Zn, to MBP may be explained by the kinetic reactivity of the two different metals to protein. The results of this study support the thesis that induction of intracellular MBP may also bind endogenous Cu and Zn.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00215807
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