The critical developmental and genetic requirements of copper metabolism during embryogenesis are unknown. Utilizing a chemical genetic screen in zebrafish, we identified small molecules that perturb copper homeostasis. Our findings reveal a role for copper in notochord formation and demonstrate a hierarchy of copper metabolism within the embryo. To elucidate these observations, we interrogated...

Copper in biological systems presents a formidable problem: it is essential for life, yet highly reactive and a potential source of cell damage. Tight control of copper is thus a cellular necessity. To meet this challenge, cells have evolved pumps for transmembranous transport, chaperones for intracellular routing, oxidases and reductases to change the oxidation state of copper, and regulators ...

In addition to copper bound to ceruloplasmin and to albumin, there is a third small fraction of copper in human serum that is bound to amino acids. The amino acid-bound fraction of copper is in equilibrium with albumin-bound copper, and both fractions are probably in equilibrium with ionic copper. Of the 23 amino acids that are known to be in human serum, a substantial number were shown (in phy...

Three methods of copper supplementation were compared in 9to 15-month-old Friesian bulls on a farm with a history of copper deficiency. A group of 60 bulls grazed 19 ha which had been topdressed in May with 120 kg copper sulphate (6.3 kg/ha). Five of the bulls were identified for repeated sample collection. A second group of 60 bulls grazed an untreated area and five of these were each given a ...

Engineered nanoparticles are becoming increasingly incorporated into technology and consumer products. In 2014, over 300 tons of copper oxide nanoparticles were manufactured in the United States. The increased production of nanoparticles raises concerns regarding the potential introduction into the environment or human exposure. Copper oxide nanoparticles commonly release copper ions into solut...

The Keweenaw Peninsula native copper district of Michigan, USA is the largest concentration of native copper in the world. The copper isotopic composition of native copper was measured from stratabound and vein deposits, hosted by multiple rift-filling basalt-dominated stratigraphic horizons over 110 km of strike length. The δ65Cu of the native copper has an overall mean of +0.28‰ and a range o...

Besides being a naturally occurring element and an essential micronutrient, copper is used as a pesticide, but at generally higher concentrations. Copper, unlike organic pesticides, does not degrade, but rather enters a complex biogeochemical cycle. In the water column, copper can exist bound to both organic and inorganic species and as free or hydrated copper ions. Water column chemistry affec...

Vineyard soils are frequently polluted with high concentrations of copper due application of copper sulfate in order to control fungal diseases. Bioremediation is an efficient process for the treatment of contaminated sites. Efficient copper sorption bacteria can be used for bioremoval of copper from contaminated sites. In this study, a total of 106 copper resistant bacteria were examined for r...

As a cofactor of proteins and enzymes involved in critical molecular pathways in mammals and low eukaryotes, copper is a transition metal essential for life. The intra-cellular and extra-cellular metabolism of copper is under tight control, in order to maintain free copper concentrations at very low levels. Copper is a critical element for major neuronal functions, and the central nervous syste...