Abstract
Free radicals are chemical particles containing one or more unpaired electrons, which may be part of the molecule. They cause the molecule to become highly reactive. The free radicals are also known to play a dual role in biological systems, as they can be either beneficial or harmful for living systems. It is clear that there are numerous mechanisms participating on the protection of a cell against free radicals. In this review, our attention is paid to metallothioneins (MTs) as small, cysteine-rich and heavy metal-binding proteins, which participate in an array of protective stress responses. The mechanism of the reaction of metallothioneins with oxidants and electrophilic compounds is discussed. Numerous reports indicate that MT protects cells from exposure to oxidants and electrophiles, which react readily with sulfhydryl groups. Moreover, MT plays a key role in regulation of zinc levels and distribution in the intracellular space. The connections between zinc, MT and cancer are highlighted.
Highlights
Free radicals are chemical particles containing one or more unpaired electrons, which may be part of the molecule
Given that a number of MT functions are due to its close interaction with zinc ions, it is appropriate to mention zinc and metallothionein roles for easier comprehension separately
As ROS or RNS cause the release of zinc(II) form metallothionein, it leads to a release of zinc(II) from these structures, causing a loss of zinc-finger function, and an increase in cytoplasmic or nuclear free zinc(II) that may, in turn, stimulate and interfere with cellular signaling cascades [78]
Summary
Free radicals are chemical particles containing one or more unpaired electrons, which may be part of the molecule. They cause the molecule to become highly reactive [1]. Free radicals are known to play a dual role in biological systems, because they can be considered as beneficial or deleterious [3]. Despite the presence of the antioxidant defense system, which protects cells from oxidative damage originating from free radicals, oxidative damage accumulates during the lifecycle and, with radicals related damage of DNA, proteins and lipids, plays a key role in the development of diseases, such as cancer, atherosclerosis, arthritis and neurodegenerative diseases [6,7,8]. The most important free radicals in aerobic organisms are oxygen reactive species (ROS) [3] and nitrogen reactive species (RNS) [9]. Our attention is aimed at the mutual relations of metallothionein and zinc(II) ions
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