Copper induction of translatable metallothionein messenger RNA

Copper chloride injection of rats resulted in a 4.5- to 9-Iold increase in translatable metallothionein messenger RNA in the liver. Metallothionein in the translation products was identified on the basis of high cysteine and serine incorporation and absence of leucine incorporation as well as comigration with authentic zinc-induced rat-liver metallothionein on SDS-polyacrylamide gels.