Metallothioneins and Immune Function

Dzięgiel, Piotr; Puła, Bartosz; Kobierzycki, Christopher; Stasiołek, Mariusz; Podhorska-Okołów, Marzena

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-27472-0_5

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 140 publications

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“…Deciphering how MTs shape the fate of development, dynamics and resolution of an immune response will be a crucial step in identifying novel therapeutic targets in pathways regulated by MTs. On the one hand, Zn and Cu have long been known to be involved in development and function of the innate and adaptive arms of our immune system [ 15 ] and on the other hand, numerous studies have reported MT regulation in the context of immunity [ 16 ]. However, our understanding of how this metalloprotein executes metal modulation in immune cells and molecular cues that drive these functions is fairly recent.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metallothioneins: Emerging Modulators in Immunity and Infection

Vignesh

Deepe

2017

IJMS

173

116

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Metallothioneins (MTs) are a family of metal-binding proteins virtually expressed in all organisms including prokaryotes, lower eukaryotes, invertebrates and mammals. These proteins regulate homeostasis of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu), mitigate heavy metal poisoning, and alleviate superoxide stress. In recent years, MTs have emerged as an important, yet largely underappreciated, component of the immune system. Innate and adaptive immune cells regulate MTs in response to stress stimuli, cytokine signals and microbial challenge. Modulation of MTs in these cells in turn regulates metal ion release, transport and distribution, cellular redox status, enzyme function and cell signaling. While it is well established that the host strictly regulates availability of metal ions during microbial pathogenesis, we are only recently beginning to unravel the interplay between metal-regulatory pathways and immunological defenses. In this perspective, investigation of mechanisms that leverage the potential of MTs to orchestrate inflammatory responses and antimicrobial defenses has gained momentum. The purpose of this review, therefore, is to illumine the role of MTs in immune regulation. We discuss the mechanisms of MT induction and signaling in immune cells and explore the therapeutic potential of the MT-Zn axis in bolstering immune defenses against pathogens.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metallothioneins: Emerging Modulators in Immunity and Infection

Vignesh

Deepe

2017

IJMS

173

116

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“…Humans' MT isoforms have tissue-specific expression patterns. MTs expression increases in the response of variety inducers such as metals, interleukins, interferons, tumor necrosis factor alpha and glucocorticoid hormones (Subramanian et al, 2016;Dziegiel et al, 2016;Maret, 2011). MT could resist stress due to metal exposure by non-specific binding through metal exchange reactions in protein binding sites (Niederwanger et al, 2017).…”

Section: The Results Of Mt-2a Gene Sequencingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Identification of Metallothionein Gene in Human Plasma: Molecular analysis of Kadmium and Lead Pollution in Gas Station Environment

Dewi

Yuniastuti

Ahmed³

2018

JPII

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Metallothionein (MTs) is a protein that binds to metals, cysteine-rich and has low molecular weights. Metallothionein binds metals and has some essential cellular functions, such as transportation, storage, and metal detoxification. When metallic lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) are absorbed, it will immediately be bounded by metallothionein and transported by the blood to the liver. Metallothionein gene is encoded by MTs. This study aimed to identify the MTs gene in blood of fuel station workers which can further be used as a vulnerability biomarker of the body as a result of exposure to heavy metals like Pb and Cd in humans. This study was a cross-sectional study, conducted for 8 months and took place in Fuel Stations in the city of Semarang. Samples were fuel station workers who met the study criteria, they sought to fulfill as much as 52 samples. Blood of samples was taken approximately 5 ml and then the MT2 gene was analyzed using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that 96% of MT2 gene expression had a resemblance to normal human gene sequences by Blast GenBank. MT2 gene expression did not always reflect the accumulation of lead and cadmium in the blood of fuel station workers. The MT2 gene is likely to have a limitation when used as a biomarker for early detection of the heavy metals exposure in humans to determine the susceptibility of heavy metals exposure.

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Metallothioneins and Immune Function

Cited by 2 publications

References 140 publications

Metallothioneins: Emerging Modulators in Immunity and Infection

Metallothioneins: Emerging Modulators in Immunity and Infection

The Identification of Metallothionein Gene in Human Plasma: Molecular analysis of Kadmium and Lead Pollution in Gas Station Environment

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