Tools for metal ion sorting: in vitro evidence for partitioning of zinc and cadmium in C. elegans metallothionein isoforms

In vitro evidence for the isoform-specific partitioning of cadmium and zinc ions between the two C. elegans metallothioneins is presented. This observation is discussed in terms of isoform-specific affinities towards zinc and cadmium and the implications of our study on the in vivo roles of C. elegans metallothioneins.