Metal ions are essential for growth, but in excess, these compounds can become highly toxic. Both plants and animals have adapted numerous ways to maintain metal homeostasis while mitigating detrimental effects of excess metals ions, including the metalchelating proteins metallothionein (MT) and phytochelatin. Although phytochelatins have been shown to play an important role in the detoxificati...

Anhydrobiosis refers to a state of suspended animation in which some organisms enter when exposed extreme desiccation, ensuring them an outstanding tolerance several physical stresses due molecular and cellular adaptations. Metallothioneins (MTs) are short cysteine-rich metal-chelating proteins that work as protection element metal ion-rich conditions. Here we aimed investigate possible signatu...

The mixed copper- and zinc-binding proteins, with mol.wt. of approx. 12000, induced in rat liver after injection of copper were isolated and characterized as metallothioneins. Three separate forms were obtained, with 7-11% total metal in the protein, equivalent to 2.6-1.6 cysteine residues/metal atom.