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Nature Chemical Biology 4, 582–583 (1 October 2008) | doi:10.1038/nchembio1008-582

A bacterial copper metallothionein

Nigel J Robinson

During the 50 years since the description of a small, cadmium-binding, sulfur-rich protein in an extract from horse kidneys, metallothioneins have been found in almost every conceivable type of eukaryote, from fungi and plants to humans. The identification of new eukaryotic metallothioneins has become pass|[eacute]|.