Meiosis is a specialized cell division process by which diploid germ line cells generate haploid gametes, which are required for sexual reproduction. During this process, several micronutrients are required, including copper ions. Despite important roles for copper-dependent proteins during meiosis, their mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. In a recently publication, we reported the ...

BACKGROUND: The role of copper accumulation in the onset of hepatitis is still unclear. Therefore, we investigated a spontaneous disease model of primary copper-toxicosis in Doberman pinschers so to gain insights into the pathophysiology of copper toxicosis, namely on genes involved in copper metabolism and reactive oxygen species (ROS) defences. RESULTS: We used quantitative real-time PCR to d...

The sorption of nickel, cadmium, and copper by cultured biomass from a naturally occurring bloom of Microcystis aeruginosa was demonstrated in two systems: cells suspended in culture medium and cells immobilized in alginate. Incubation in the absence of light, in the presence of metabolic inhibitors, and at 4 degrees C did not substantially decrease the copper accumulation by cells in culture m...

Kidneys regulate their copper content more effectively than many other organs in diseases of copper deficiency or excess. We demonstrate that two copper-transporting ATPases, ATP7A and ATP7B, contribute to this regulation. ATP7A is expressed, to a variable degree, throughout the kidney and shows age-dependent intracellular localization. In 2-wk-old mice, ATP7A is located in the vicinity of the ...

Wilson's disease is due to an inherited defect in copper excretion into the bile by the liver. The resulting copper accumulation and copper toxicity results in liver disease, and in some patients, brain damage. Patients present, generally between the ages of 10 and 40 years, with liver disease, neurological disease of a movement disorder type, or behavioral abnormalities, and often with a combi...

A selective and sensitive stripping voltammetric method for the determination of trace amounts of copper(II) with cyclopentanone thiosemicarbazone (CPTSC) is presented. The method is based on the adsorptive accumulation of the resulting copper-CPTSC complex on a hanging mercury drop electrode, followed by the stripping voltammetric measurements at the reduction current of the adsorbed complex a...

Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons are affected by platinum-induced neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative processes associated with disturbed copper homeostasis and transport. This study aimed to understand the role of copper transporter 1 (Ctr1) in the uptake and toxicity of copper and platinum drugs in cultured rat DRG neurons, and the functional activities of rat Ctr1 (rCtr1) as a membrane tra...

Copper is an essential metal for normal plant growth and development, although it is also potentially toxic. Copper participates in numerous physiological processes and is an essential cofactor for many metalloproteins, however, problems arise when excess copper is present in cells. Excess copper inhibits plant growth and impairs important cellular processes (i.e., photosynthetic electron trans...