Medical Definition of Metallothionein
1.
Small cysteine rich metal binding protein found in the cytoplasm of many eukaryotes. Synthesis can be induced by heavy metals such as zinc, cadmium, copper and mercury and metallothioneins probably serve a protective function. Metallothionein gene promoters are used in studies of gene expression.
This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
(11 Mar 2008)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Metallothionein
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