Detection and identification of rabbit liver metallothionein-2 subisoformsby capillary zone electrophoresis - inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and microbore HPLC - electrospray mass spectrometry

Two recently developed approaches to the subisoform-specific detection and identification of metallothionein (MT) isoforms are compared. They are base d on the coupling of capillary electrophoresis with ICP MS and microbore ch romatography with electrospray MS. The resolution of HPLC is judged to be s lightly better since differently metallated forms of the same sub-isoform c an be separated. Detection by electrospray MS is mandatory to avoid the att ribution of artefact signals observed in element-specific chromatograms to different sub-isoforms.