Possible role of C-reactive protein in detoxication of mercury

In mercury-treated rats, C-reactive protein (CRP) has been found to be synthesized in the liver which, in turn, sequesters mercury resulting in the denaturation of the protein into subunits. The subunits retain the mercury and are released into the serum from where it gets excreted. Native CRP and CRP-subunits have been found to have different antigenicity. Thus one of the physiological roles of CRP seems to be detoxication of heavy metals.