Learn → Glossary → biochemistry
Metallothionein
Small cysteine-rich intracellular protein that binds zinc, copper, and other heavy metals, induced by zinc itself, glucocorticoids, and oxidative stress, that buffers cellular metal availability.
Metallothionein in enterocytes traps excess zinc and serves as the molecular basis for the homeostatic adaptation of fractional zinc absorption to intake. Therapeutically, zinc-induced metallothionein is exploited in Wilson disease, where zinc reduces intestinal copper absorption by trapping copper in shed enterocytes.
How one textbook covers it
Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 12th ed. — Ch 11: Zinc
Metallothionein in enterocytes traps excess zinc and serves as the molecular basis for the homeostatic adaptation of fractional zinc absorption to intake. Therapeutically, zinc-induced metallothionein is exploited in Wilson disease, where zinc reduces intestinal copper absorption by trapping copper in shed enterocytes.
Related terms
Copper, Wilson disease, Zinc