Comparison of gene expression of metallothioneins, ubiquitin and p53 in fibroblasts from lung and skin of rats of different age

Abstract

We studied gene expression of five metallothioneins (MT 1-5), ubiquitin and protein p53 and their products in fibroblasts culture of the skin and lungs of white rats of different ages (2 weeks, 1, 3, and 24 months) and determined its (metallothionein 1-5 types, ubiquitin, p53) product quantity. All these proteins are protective ones, but perform their functions by using different mechanisms. Metallothionein bind, transport and excrete ions of bivalent metals, ubiquitin controls the cleavage of the defective and short-lived proteins in the proteasome, protein p53 controls apoptosis, thus ensuring the genome stability. The similarity of age dynamics of gene expression of ubiquitin and MT of cells of both sources has been shown – maximum at 3 months. Expression of p53 gene has a difference: both in the skin and lungs expression increases up to 24 months. Product quantity of p53 has a minimum in the skin at 3 months and remains constant; in the lungs, this value has a maximum at 1 month.

Keywords

• culture of fibroblasts
• ontogeny
• metallothioneins
• ubiquitin
• p53