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Characterizing Mammalian Zinc Transporters Using an In Vitro Zinc Transport Assay

Characterizing Mammalian Zinc Transporters Using an In Vitro Zinc Transport Assay

Published on: June 2, 2023

Ctr1 transports silver into mammalian cells.

Jesse Bertinato¹, Lawrence Cheung, Rezaul Hoque

¹Nutrition Research Division, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. jesse_bertinato@hc-sc.gc.ca

Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology : Organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS)

|June 24, 2010

Summary

Copper transporter 1 (Ctr1) imports silver into mammalian cells. This finding reveals a key pathway for silver accumulation in tissues, impacting its use as an antimicrobial agent.

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Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Cell Biology
Toxicology

Background:

Silver is a toxic metal used as an antimicrobial agent.
Silver accumulation in tissues occurs through unknown cellular uptake systems.
Copper transporter 1 (Ctr1) is a potential silver uptake protein.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of Ctr1 in silver uptake in mammalian cells.
To determine if Ctr1 facilitates silver entry into cells.

Main Methods:

Over-expression of human Ctr1-green fluorescent protein (hCtr1-GFP) in COS-7 cells.
Utilizing mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells lacking Ctr1.
Measuring silver accumulation in cells exposed to silver nitrate (AgNO(3)).

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Main Results:

hCtr1-GFP expressing cells showed hyper-accumulation of silver.
A Ctr1 variant deficient in copper transport did not stimulate silver accumulation.
MEF cells lacking Ctr1 exhibited a 50% reduction in silver content.

Conclusions:

Ctr1 transports both copper and silver.
Ctr1 is a significant protein involved in mammalian cellular silver accumulation.