Goering P L, Fowler B A
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709.
Experientia Suppl. 1987;52:613-6. doi: 10.1007/978-3-0348-6784-9_64.
Metallothionein has been postulated to function in essential metal homeostasis. In this study, we demonstrate a 1.7-fold increase in purified bovine liver delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity following incubation with purified kidney Zn-thionein isolated from Zn-treated rats. The mechanism of enzyme activation, as demonstrated using 65Zn-labeled thionein, involves direct transfer of Zn from Zn-thionein to ALAD. These data support the hypothesis that metallothionein serves to regulate the intracellular bioavailability of essential cations, functioning as a reservoir or conduit through which metals are donated to enzymes which require them as cofactors.