Induction of Metallothionein

Abstract

Metallothioneins (MTs) are cysteine-rich metal-binding proteins. These proteins play a pivotal role in heavy metal homeostasis and have been widely studied by biochemists, toxicologists, nutritional scientists, and molecular biologists. It is well established that MTs are inducible proteins. They are normally synthesized at low basal levels, but exposure to a wide variety of heavy metals and many organic compounds will dramatically increase synthesis of MTs. This paper summarizes MT induction by reviewing the chemicals that induce these proteins, the molecular mechanism involved in this induction, and the relationship between MT induction and biological function.