An improved electrochemical method for the quantification of metallothioneins in marine organisms

A six-to nine-fold increase in detection limits of the Brdic?ka polarographic assay for metallothioneins has been achieved through the employment of a commercially available static mercury drop electrode (SMDE) and reduced temperatures. At 16°C detectable concentrations of metallothionein (MT-1) from the crab Scylla serrata were in the range of 5 to 10 μg litre^-1. Operating conditions and electrode preparation are discussed. For a number of thiolic molecules a linear relationship between polarographic response and either the number of cysteinyl residues or the molecular weight was noted. In the latter case on enhancement of response by sulfur-metal bonds is suggested. The utility of this assay permits a rapid quantitative assay for these proteins at basal levels in marine invertebrates and other organisms.