Abstract
A full-length copper-induced metallothionein (EcMT-Cu) cDNA was obtained from Exopalaemon carinicauda (Holthuis) and it contained a 198bp open reading frame that encoded a peptide with 65 amino acid residues. Twenty-one cysteines were found in deduced amino acid sequence and the cysteine (Cys)-rich characteristic was also reported in different types of metallothioneins from other species. EcMT-Cu mRNA expression profile showed that it is the hepatopancreas specific gene. The expression of EcMT-Cu was extremely different when shrimp were exposed to seawater containing 50μM CuSO4 or 2.5μM CdCl2. The expression of EcMT-Cu in shrimp was significantly up-regulated at 12 and 24h after exposure to CuSO4, however, its expression was not induced compared to that of pretreatment (p>0.05) when shrimp were exposed to CdCl2. The transcript of EcMT-Cu was found to be extremely low at gastrula and nauplius stage and expression of EcMT-Cu could be detected from egg protozoa stage.
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