Synthesis of a metallothionein‐like protein in cultured human skin fibroblasts: Relation to abnormal copper distribution in Menkes' disease

A metallothionein-like protein (MTP) is synthesized in normal diploid human skin fibroblasts cultured in Zn- or Cu-supplemented medium. Synthesis of MTP is not detected in cells cultured without metal supplementation of complete tissue-culture medium. Cultured fibroblasts from patients with Menkes' disease accumulate excess Cu which chromatographs both with high molecular-weight protein(s) and with a Cu-MTP. Under normal culture conditions, the Menkes' MTP incorporates [³⁵S]-cystine, but not appreciable amounts of ⁶⁵Zn. However, Menkes fibroblasts retain the ability to incorporate ⁶⁵Zn into MTP in response to Zn supplementation of the medium. The results do not support the idea that Menkes' disease results from a failure of Cu to bind to MTP, but rather that an elevated intracellular Cu concentration in Menkes' disease fibroblasts leads to association of excess Cu with high-molecular-weight protein, stimulating synthesis of a Cu-binding MTP.