Metallothionein and progress of cancer-related research.doc

 PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 12 Metallothionein and progress of cancer-related research [Key Words] metallothionein, cancer, research metallothionein (Metallothionein, MT is a class of low molecular weight cysteine-rich protein of endogenous small molecules, the first time in 1957 by Harvard University, and Vallee Margoshe kidney from horses separated, it is widespread in the biosphere, the current research on MT has been involved in agriculture, medicine, biochemistry, molecular biology, environmental science, health, toxicology, food science, nutrition, health sciences and methodologies, and many other fields, its special structure and unique physical and chemical properties and biological Studies from the disease, development, diagnosis and pathogenesis of an important role in the show. At present, for the occurrence of MT in tumor development and prognosis in the treatment of an increasing concern by scholars from various countries. 1 MT of the basic characteristics and biological functions MT is a class of widely present in the organisms of low molecular weight, cysteine-rich, can be metal-induced metal-binding proteins, genes of different species of organisms on the chromosome location is different, the human MT gene is located on 16 chromosomes, from 3 exons and 2 introns, MT structure is highly conserved during evolution, mammals MT 61 ~ 62 amino acid residues of the polypeptide, relative molecular weight of 6 103 ~ 7 103 non-aromatic amino acid and histidine, cysteine-rich (Cys. MT family includes four isoforms: MT-, MT-, MT- and MT-. MT- include at least six subtypes, it is mainly found in mammals and some invertebrates (such as lobster, oysters, MT- exist in mammals, protists, invertebrates (such as sea urchins, algae present, yeast and some plants, where MT- and MT- is MT major isomeric forms, in the breast-feeding Animals were expressed in all organs to the liver, kidney, pancreas, small intestine, the most abundant. MT-, also known as gro