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Structural Motifs Of Novel Metallothionein Proteins, Duncan E K Sutherland

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Metallothioneins (MT) are a family of small cysteine rich proteins, which have been implicated in toxic metal detoxification, protection against oxidative stress, and as a metallochaperone. The most well studied member of the family is the mammalian MT, which consists of two domains: a β-domain with 9 cysteine residues, which sequesters 3 Cd²⁺/Zn²⁺, and an α-domain with 11 cysteine residues, which sequesters 4 Cd²⁺/Zn²⁺. The exact functions of MT are unknown but must relate to its metalation status. Several areas that could lead to the assignment of function include 1) the determination …