Immunological and biochemical properties of metallothioneins of golden hamster, mouse and rat.

Golden hamster, mouse and rat hepatic cadmium metallothioneins (MT) were purified by Sephadex G-75 gel filtration, DEAE-Sephadex A-25 chromatography and activated Thiol-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. Metallothioneins were separated by DEAE-Sephadex A-25 chromatography into two forms: MT-1 and MT-2. In mouse and golden hamster liver, MT-1 was the major form. The purified proteins were homogeneous as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence and absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. In non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, migration of mouse, rat and golden hamster hepatic metallothioneins were found to be different. Antibodies to mouse hepatic MT-1 was raised in rabbits. The antiserum cross reacted with mouse and hamster MT-1 and MT-2 giving a single precipitin band. Mouse, rat and hamster hepatic MTs are immunologically identical but electrophoretically different. The kidney and pancreatic MTs of rat and golden hamster were purified by Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. They were immunologically distinct. Pancreas MT formed a line of partial identity with hepatic MTs. Kidney MTs form two precipitin band one identical with the pancreatic form and another of complete identity with the hepatic MTs. This indicates the presence of tissue specific MTs.