Coping with Cadmium Exposure in Various Ways: The Two Helicid Snails Helix pomatia and Cantareus aspersus Share the Metal Transcription Factor-2, but Differ in Promoter Organization and Transcription of Their Cd-Metallothionein Genes

Gastropods are able to withstand fluctuating availabilities of nonessential trace elements such as cadmium by induction of Cd-specific metallothionein isoform. (Cd-MT) expression. As in other species, the induction mechanism involves the binding of metal-regulatory transcription factors (MTF-1 or MTF-2) to metal responsive elements (MREs) in the MT promoter regions. Cd-dependent transcription of Cd-MT genes was assessed by quantitative real time PCR in two helicid gastropods, Helix pomatia and Cantareus aspersus, over a period of eight days. The promoter regions of the Cd-MT genes of the two species were sequenced and compared regarding the position of MREs and other relevant potential transcription factor binding sites (TFBs). Cd-MT gene transcription is induced after Cd exposure in Helix pomatia and Cantareus aspersus, showing a transient peak in Helix pomatia, contrasting with a persistent induction rate in Cantareus aspersus. Since the existence of MTF-2 was verified in both species, differing transcription patterns of Cd-MT genes must be due to functional differences in their metal-responsive promoter regions. Both promoters contain a proximal cluster of three MREs overlapping with TFBs for the transcriptional regulator Sp1. In contrast to Cantareus aspersus, however, the Cd-MT gene of Helix pomatia hosts an additional distal MRE overlapping with a Sp1 binding site and a CACCC box. Inhibitory effects of MRE overlapping Sp1 binding sites were observed in other MT genes. We therefore suggest that transient Cd-MT transcription upon Cd2+ exposure in Helix pomatia may be the result of an inhibitory action of the distal MRE cluster. J. Exp. Zool. 311A:776-787, 2009. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.