ABSTRACT
Evidence is presented in support of the thesis that the ubiquitous metal-binding protein, metallothionein (MT), may serve as a biomonitor of exposure to environmental toxins such as heavy metals and to environmental stress. Metallothionein is a low molecular weight metal-binding protein found in vertebrates, invertebrates, and microorganisms. Competitor MT and primary antibody are added as in the radioimmunoassay (RIA); following an incubation and washing step the secondary antibody is added. The RIA has demonstrated that MT in liver cells of rats subjected to the stress induced by physical restraint or by food and water deprivation increases with the duration of the state of stress. The role of MT in the response to vertebrates and invertebrates to metals and to stress is well-documented, there are other molecules which participate in these responses, particularly in plants and microorganisms. The metal-binding protein is a potential biomonitor for assessment of exposure of animals, including feral species, to environmental Toxins and to stress.
