Elucidation of cDNA sequences for metallothioneins from rainbow trout, stone loach and pike liver using the polymerase chain reaction.

Metallothionein cDNAs were generated from the livers of three fish species and amplified by PCR. Two distinct coding sequences (A and B) were elucidated for rainbow trout metallothioneins but single isoforms were encoded by genes isolated from the stone loach and pike. Different sized transcripts were observed both with stone loach and pike but these were accounted for by altered lengths of 3' untranslated regions.