SEPARATION OF METALLOTHIONEIN ISOFORMS BY MICELLAR ELECTROKINETIC CAPILLARY CHROMATOGRAPHY

Current techniques for the separation and quantification of metallothi onein isoforms have limited value for routine analysis. Isoforms havin g a similar charge have been separated successfully using reversed-pha se HPLC but this technique suffers from a slow sample turnover time. T he use of the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate for the separation of metallothionein isoforms by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromat ography (MECC) is described. The charge-different isoforms MT-1 and MT -2 from rats, rabbits and sheep were separated within 9-12 min. In add ition, a varying degree of heterogeneity was observed in purified samp les of human MT-1, rat MT-2, rabbit MT-1, rabbit MT-2 and sheep MT-1. The behaviour of chicken MT was different from that of any other speci es. The separation of sheep liver extracts indicated the potential of MECC as the basis for a quantitative assay for both charge-different a nd charge-similar metallothionein isoforms.