Abstract
The expression of metallothionein (MT)-1 and -2 mRNAs in rat liver following administration of Cd or Cu was investigated using specific oligonucleotides. The specificity was confirmed using a competitive prehybridization assay. Cd injection caused a biphasic induction of both isoform mRNAs, whereas Cu induced a sustained, monophasic response. Analysis of polyribosomal RNA showed that, after both Cd and Cu treatments, the recruitment of MT-1 mRNA into polyribosomes paralleled the increase in transcription, but the increase of polyribosomal MT-2 mRNA was less than that of total MT-2 mRNA. This indicates that not all the MT-2 mRNA induced was translated, suggesting that there is translational control of MT-2 mRNA expression, but not of MT-1 mRNA. This hypothesis was supported by the observation that, after Cu treatment, the induction of MT-1 protein was induced to the same extent as MT-1 mRNA, whereas the total MT protein (MT-1+MT-2) was increased far less (7-fold) than MT-2 mRNA (30-fold).
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 665-671 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Biochemical Journal |
Volume | 315 |
Publication status | Published - 15 Apr 1996 |
Keywords
- MESSENGER-RNA
- HEPATIC METALLOTHIONEIN
- LIVER
- INDUCTION
- COPPER
- EXPRESSION
- INJECTION
- GENES
- FETAL
- ACID