A03:DISTURBANCE of Bio-metal

A03:”Disturbance” of Bio-metal dynamics
Dynamics of Toxic metals in cells
Kambe(Head)・Ishimori・Fujishiro・Suzuki

Ingestion of toxic metals disrupts dynamics of bio-metals, and therefore threatens our health. For example, “Itai-itai” disease is one of four major pollution diseases, which is caused by intake of cadmium contained in waste water from mines. Even now, cadmium toxicity is obvious by eating rice contaminated with cadmium. However, there is still no effective treatment for the disease. Moreover, epidemiological data show that relatively large numbers of people, who live near manganese mines, show Parkinson’s symptoms. In addition, excess ingestion of metal disturbs bio-metal dynamics, even if it is a bio-metal. For example, unexpected excessive ingestion of zinc, which is derived from zinc-contained denture stabilizers, have been shown to cause anemia.

The purpose of A03 group is to elucidate the expression mechanism of the toxicity caused by toxic metals by clarifying the transport route and intracellular distribution of toxic metals. Since they are considered to be taken into cells through bio-metal transporters, we will try to identify which bio-metal transporters are involved in the uptake of each toxic metal, and to identify their structural bases. In addition, we will perform speciation analysis of toxic metals incorporated into tissues, and clarify their distribution at a subcellular, cellular and tissue levels. We hope to present a model to explain expression of toxicity by simulating the effects of toxic metals on the dynamics of bio-metals in the cells.

A03-1 Protein metalation that controls biometal dynamics in the cells
Leader Taiho Kambe(Kyoto University)
A03-2 Molecular Mechanism for Signal Transduction in Dynamics of Biometals
Leader Koichiro Ishimori(Hokkaido University)
A03-3 Regulation of physiological renal functions via dynamic cellular transports of biometals
Leader Hitomi Fujishiro(Tokushima Bunri University)
A03-4 Development of bioremediation technology using dynamics of biometals
Leader Michio Suzuki(The University of Tokyo)