TY - JOUR
T1 - Roles of the metallothionein family of proteins in the central nervous system
AU - Hidalgo, Juan
AU - Aschner, Michael
AU - Zatta, Paolo
AU - Vašák, Milan
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by Programa Sectorial de Promoción General del Conocimiento PM98-0170, Comissionat per a Universitats i Recerca 1999SGR 00330, and Fundación “La Caixa” 97/102-00 (J.H.); U.S. Public Health Service grants National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcholism 11617 and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 07331 (M.A.); COST D8 “Metal In Medicine” (P.Z.); and Swiss National Science Foundation grant 31-58858.99 (M.V.). Thanks are given to the members of our laboratories, and to Drs. Glen K. Andrews, Horst Bluethmann, Iain L. Campbell, Bernardo Castellano, Vicente Felipo, Richard D. Palmiter, Milena Penkowa, and Pamela Zambenedetti for fruitful discussion about metallothioneins.
PY - 2001/5/15
Y1 - 2001/5/15
N2 - Metallothioneins (MTs) constitute a family of proteins characterized by a high heavy metal [Zn(II), Cu(I)] content and also by an unusual cysteine abundance. Mammalian MTs are comprised of four major isoforms designated MT-1 through MT-4. MT-1 and MT-2 are expressed in most tissues including the brain, whereas MT-3 (also called growth inhibitory factor) and MT-4 are expressed predominantly in the central nervous system and in keratinizing epithelia, respectively. All MT isoforms have been implicated in disparate physiological functions, such as zinc and copper metabolism, protection against reactive oxygen species, or adaptation to stress. In the case of MT-3, an additional involvement of this isoform in neuromodulatory events and in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease has also been suggested. It is essential to gain insight into how MTs are regulated in the brain in order to characterize MT functions, both in normal brain physiology, as well as in pathophysiological states. The focus of this review concerns the biology of the MT family in the context of their expression and functional roles in the central nervous system.
AB - Metallothioneins (MTs) constitute a family of proteins characterized by a high heavy metal [Zn(II), Cu(I)] content and also by an unusual cysteine abundance. Mammalian MTs are comprised of four major isoforms designated MT-1 through MT-4. MT-1 and MT-2 are expressed in most tissues including the brain, whereas MT-3 (also called growth inhibitory factor) and MT-4 are expressed predominantly in the central nervous system and in keratinizing epithelia, respectively. All MT isoforms have been implicated in disparate physiological functions, such as zinc and copper metabolism, protection against reactive oxygen species, or adaptation to stress. In the case of MT-3, an additional involvement of this isoform in neuromodulatory events and in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease has also been suggested. It is essential to gain insight into how MTs are regulated in the brain in order to characterize MT functions, both in normal brain physiology, as well as in pathophysiological states. The focus of this review concerns the biology of the MT family in the context of their expression and functional roles in the central nervous system.
KW - Copper
KW - Metal-thiolate complexes
KW - Neurodegenerative diseases
KW - Oxidative stress
KW - Zinc
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U2 - 10.1016/S0361-9230(01)00452-X
DO - 10.1016/S0361-9230(01)00452-X
M3 - Article
C2 - 11470309
AN - SCOPUS:0035872463
SN - 0361-9230
VL - 55
SP - 133
EP - 145
JO - Brain Research Bulletin
JF - Brain Research Bulletin
IS - 2
ER -