Metallothionein in regeneration, reproduction and development

The presence of metallothionein in high concentrations in the livers of foetuses and/or newborn of all mammalian species thus far investigated is well-established, explanations of why it is there and what it does are hypothetical. This paper attempts to distinguish between fact and fiction and to evaluate critically the evidence for and against the various functional roles that have been proposed for metallothionein in liver regeneration and in mammalian reproduction and development.