Metallothionein in Brain Disorders

Metallothioneins are a family of proteins which are able to bind metals intracellularly, so their main function is to regulate the cellular metabolism of essential metals. There are 4 major isoforms of MTs (I–IV), three of which have been localized in the central nervous system. MT-I and MT-II have...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity 2017-01, Vol.2017 (2017), p.1-12
Main Authors: Juárez-Rebollar, Daniel, Rios, Camilo, Nava-Ruíz, Concepción, Méndez-Armenta, Marisela
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino acids
Apoptosis
Brain diseases
Brain research
Cadmium
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
Epilepsy
Genes
Heavy metals
Ischemia
Metallothionein
Nervous system
Neurodegeneration
Neurological disorders
Neurosciences
Oxidative stress
Parkinson's disease
Physiology
Proteins
Review
Rodents
Transcription factors
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Metallothioneins are a family of proteins which are able to bind metals intracellularly, so their main function is to regulate the cellular metabolism of essential metals. There are 4 major isoforms of MTs (I–IV), three of which have been localized in the central nervous system. MT-I and MT-II have been localized in the spinal cord and brain, mainly in astrocytes, whereas MT-III has been found mainly in neurons. MT-I and MT-II have been considered polyvalent proteins whose main function is to maintain cellular homeostasis of essential metals such as zinc and copper, but other functions have also been considered: detoxification of heavy metals, regulation of gene expression, processes of inflammation, and protection against free radicals generated by oxidative stress. On the other hand, the MT-III has been related in events of pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson and Alzheimer. Likewise, the participation of MTs in other neurological disorders has also been reported. This review shows recent evidence about the role of MT in the central nervous system and its possible role in neurodegenerative diseases as well as in brain disorders.
ISSN:1942-0900
1942-0994
DOI:10.1155/2017/5828056