Distribution of metallothioneins in the brain neoplastic cells.
Journal Title: Folia Neuropathologica - Year 2005, Vol 43, Issue 2
Abstract
Metallothioneins (MT) are common proteins in animal tissues. These proteinstake part in the homeostasis of the ions of the metals which are necessary for the proper metabolismof the organism (zinc, copper), biosynthesis regulation and zincprotein activity (for example the activityof the zinc-dependant transcription factors) and they also take part in the detoxication of the tissuefrom toxic metals. Apart from these, they also protect the tissue from reactive oxygen species, radiation,electrophilic pharmacological agents used in the cancer therapy and the mutagens. The aim of this workwas to obtain cellular sub-fractions of brain tumors and to separate these proteins by SDS-polyacrylamidegel electrophoresis and Western Blotting technique and to determine the level of metallothioneins andto determine the level of metallthioneins in the cellular sub-fraction. The experimental materials werethe brain neoplastic tissues resected during neurosurgical procedures. The brain tumors were dividedinto two groups; astrocytoma G-2 and malignant gliomas (astrocytoma GM-4, glioblastoma multiforme). Thecellular fractions of tumour tissues were obtained according to Clark and Nicklas and Chauveau et al.methods. The level of the metallothioneins was determined by the cadmium-hemoglobin affinity assay usingthe cadmium isotope (109Cd). By performing protein dissection on polyacrylamide gel (PAGE) and applyingimmunoidentifying technique we proved the presence of metallothioneins in all the cell sub-fractions.In GM-4 patients the total MT level increased by 12.06% whereas in the cytosol sub-fraction it increasedby 17.02% in comparison with astrocytoma G-2 patients. In the mitochondrial sub-fraction the level increasedby 49.09% while in the nuclear and microsomal sub-fractions the increase was by 22.38 and 8.24%, respectively.
Authors and Affiliations
Bolesław Floriańczyk, Jacek Osuchowski, Robert Kaczmarczyk, Elzbieta Starosławska, Tomasz Trojanowski
Keywords
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Distribution of metallothioneins in the brain neoplastic cells.
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