The legless lizard Anguis fragilis (slow worm) has a potent metal-responsive transcription factor 1 (MTF-1)

• Published in: Biological chemistry Vol. 395; no. 4; pp. 425 - 431
• Main Authors: Georgiev, Oleg, Günther, Viola, Steiner, Kurt, Schönrath, Katharina, Schaffner, Walter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany De Gruyter 01.04.2014
• Subjects: Anguis; Anguis fragilis; Animals; cadmium toxicity; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Humans; Lacertilia; Lizards - metabolism; longevity; metal homeostasis; metal regulatory transcription factor; nuclear export signal (NES); Transcription Factor MTF-1; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; zinc-induced transcription
• ISSN: 1431-6730; 1437-4315
• DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2013-0293

The metal-responsive transcription factor-1 (MTF-1) is a key regulator of heavy metal homeostasis and detoxification. Here we characterize the first MTF-1 from a reptile, the slow worm . The slow worm, or blind worm, is a legless lizard also known for its long lifespan of up to several decades. MTF-1 performs well and matches the strong zinc and cadmium response of its human ortholog, clearly surpassing the activity of rodent MTF-1s. Some amino acid positions critical for metal response are the same in humans and slow worm but not in rodent MTF-1. This points to a divergent evolution of rodent MTF-1, and we speculate that rodents can afford a less sophisticated metal handling than humans and (some) reptiles.