Synthesis of metallothionein in a polysomal cell-free system.

A new covalent chromatography system utilizing Activated Thiol Sepharose 4B was employed to quantitate the content of thionein chains synthesized in a polysomal cell-free system. Liver polysomes from zinc injected rats directed the translation of more thionein-like polypeptide chains than polysomes from control rats. The increase was similar to the stimulation in MT synthesis $\text{in vivo}$ following a zinc injection. This evidence supports the concept that metallothionein synthesis is regulated by changes in the pool of translatable thionein mRNA.