Inducibility of Metallothionein Biosynthesis in Cultured Normal and Menkes Kinky Hair Disease Fibroblasts: Effects of Copper and Cadmium

Abstract

Summary: Metallothionein biosynthesis is not induced by extracellular copper in Menkes Kinky hair disease (MKHD) or in normal cultured fibroblasts under the conditions of these experiments. In the presence of copper, MKHD fibroblasts also incorporated less cysteine than did normal fibroblasts. Extracellular cadmium greatly enhanced the uptake of cysteine in both normal and MKHD cultures. By the technique of polyacrylamide gel electro-phoresis, it was demonstrated that metallothionein is induced by cadmium in normal and MKHD-cultured fibroblasts. Speculation: The abnormality in copper homeostasis of MKHD is not caused by an alteration of inducibility of metallothionein. Further investigation of the structure of metallothionein or other copper carrier proteins may uncover the etiology of MKHD.