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Shaping mechanisms of metal specificity in a family of metazoan metallothioneins: evolutionary differentiation of mollusc metallothioneins
Authors:Òscar Palacios  Ayelen Pagani  Sílvia Pérez-Rafael  Margit Egg  Martina Höckner  Anita Brandstätter  Mercè Capdevila  Sílvia Atrian  Reinhard Dallinger
Institution:1.Departamento Química, Faculty Ciències,Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès,Barcelona,Spain;2.Departamento Genètica, Faculty Biologia,Universitat de Barcelona,Barcelona,Spain;3.Institute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI),University of Innsbruck,Innsbruck,Austria;4.Division of Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Medical Genetics, Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology,Innsbruck Medical University,Austria
Abstract:

Background  

The degree of metal binding specificity in metalloproteins such as metallothioneins (MTs) can be crucial for their functional accuracy. Unlike most other animal species, pulmonate molluscs possess homometallic MT isoforms loaded with Cu+ or Cd2+. They have, so far, been obtained as native metal-MT complexes from snail tissues, where they are involved in the metabolism of the metal ion species bound to the respective isoform. However, it has not as yet been discerned if their specific metal occupation is the result of a rigid control of metal availability, or isoform expression programming in the hosting tissues or of structural differences of the respective peptides determining the coordinative options for the different metal ions. In this study, the Roman snail (Helix pomatia) Cu-loaded and Cd-loaded isoforms (HpCuMT and HpCdMT) were used as model molecules in order to elucidate the biochemical and evolutionary mechanisms permitting pulmonate MTs to achieve specificity for their cognate metal ion.
Keywords:
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