Copper-thionein in leucocytes.

Abstract

Upon incubation of peripheral leucocytes with copper sulphate a dramatic cellular copper uptake reaching levels of 25-50-fold compared to that of the natural copper content was measured. The orange-red fluorescence of the copper-treated white blood cells was assigned to the formation of Cu(I)-thiolate clusters in Cu(I)-thionein. A protein of 6-8 kDa was isolated from homogenized bovine leucocytes and characterized by its electronic absorption and amino acid composition to be identical to the above Cu(I)-thionein. More than 70% of the intracellular copper was attributed to this protein in its monomeric and polymeric form. Cu-thionein formation was more pronounced in monocytes than in granulocytes. As most intriguing phenomenon, the release of this Cu-thionein from leucocytes, was also noticed. The occurrence of Cu-thionein in leucocytes and the excretion of the intact Cu(I)-thiolate protein is of considerable interest with respect to the observed elevated copper levels in white blood cells and plasma during tumor malignancies and inflammatory processes.

• Authors: H J Hartmann, T Schechinger, U Weser
• Journal: Biology of metals (Biol Met) Vol. 2 Issue 1 Pg. 40-4 ( 1989) ISSN: 0933-5854 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 2485652 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Amino Acids
• copper thionein
• Copper
• Metallothionein

Topics

• Amino Acids (analysis)
• Animals
• Cattle
• Chromatography, Gel
• Copper (blood)
• Humans
• Leukocytes (metabolism)
• Metallothionein (blood)