Biomaterial Database

Copper biochemistry and molecular biology. 1996

M C Linder, and M Hazegh-Azam

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Fullerton 92634, USA.

In this review, our basic and most recent understanding of copper biochemistry and molecular biology for mammals (including humans) is described. Information is provided on the nutritional biochemistry of copper, including food sources, intestinal absorption, transport, tissue distribution, and excretion, along with descriptions of copper binding proteins and other factors involved and their roles in these processes. The metabolism of copper and its importance for the functions of a roster of vital enzymes is detailed. Its potential toxicology is also addressed. Alterations in copper metabolism associated with genetic and nongenetic diseases are summarized, including potential connections to inflammation, cancer, atherosclerosis, and anemia, and the effects of genetic copper deficiency (Menkes syndrome) and copper overload (Wilson disease). Understanding these diseases suggests new ways of viewing the normal functions of copper and provides new insights into the details of copper transport and distribution in mammals.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007249	Inflammation	A pathological process characterized by injury or destruction of tissues caused by a variety of cytologic and chemical reactions. It is usually manifested by typical signs of pain, heat, redness, swelling, and loss of function.	Innate Inflammatory Response,Inflammations,Inflammatory Response, Innate,Innate Inflammatory Responses
D007408	Intestinal Absorption	Uptake of substances through the lining of the INTESTINES.	Absorption, Intestinal
D007706	Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome	An inherited disorder of copper metabolism transmitted as an X-linked trait and characterized by the infantile onset of HYPOTHERMIA, feeding difficulties, hypotonia, SEIZURES, bony deformities, pili torti (twisted hair), and severely impaired intellectual development. Defective copper transport across plasma and endoplasmic reticulum membranes results in copper being unavailable for the synthesis of several copper containing enzymes, including PROTEIN-LYSINE 6-OXIDASE; CERULOPLASMIN; and SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE. Pathologic changes include defects in arterial elastin, neuronal loss, and gliosis. (From Menkes, Textbook of Child Neurology, 5th ed, p125)	Hypocupremia, Congenital,Kinky Hair Syndrome,Menkes Syndrome,Steely Hair Syndrome,Congenital Hypocupremia,Copper Transport Disease,Kinky Hair Disease,Menkea Syndrome,Menkes Disease,Menkes' Disease,Steely Hair Disease,X-Linked Copper Deficiency,Congenital Hypocupremias,Copper Deficiencies, X-Linked,Copper Deficiency, X-Linked,Copper Transport Diseases,Deficiencies, X-Linked Copper,Deficiency, X-Linked Copper,Disease, Copper Transport,Disease, Steely Hair,Diseases, Copper Transport,Diseases, Kinky Hair,Diseases, Menkes',Diseases, Steely Hair,Hair Diseases, Kinky,Hair Diseases, Steely,Hypocupremias, Congenital,Kinky Hair Diseases,Menkea Syndromes,Menkes' Diseases,Steely Hair Diseases,Steely Hair Syndromes,Syndrome, Menkea,Syndrome, Steely Hair,Syndromes, Menkea,Syndromes, Steely Hair,Transport Disease, Copper,Transport Diseases, Copper,X Linked Copper Deficiency,X-Linked Copper Deficiencies
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D009369	Neoplasms	New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms.	Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D009747	Nutritional Physiological Phenomena	The processes and properties of living organisms by which they take in and balance the use of nutritive materials for energy, heat production, or building material for the growth, maintenance, or repair of tissues and the nutritive properties of FOOD.	Nutrition Physiological Phenomena,Nutrition Physiology,Nutrition Processes,Nutritional Physiology Phenomena,Nutrition Phenomena,Nutrition Physiological Concepts,Nutrition Physiological Phenomenon,Nutrition Process,Nutritional Phenomena,Nutritional Physiological Phenomenon,Nutritional Physiology,Nutritional Physiology Concepts,Nutritional Physiology Phenomenon,Nutritional Process,Nutritional Processes,Concept, Nutrition Physiological,Concept, Nutritional Physiology,Concepts, Nutrition Physiological,Concepts, Nutritional Physiology,Nutrition Physiological Concept,Nutritional Physiology Concept,Phenomena, Nutrition,Phenomena, Nutrition Physiological,Phenomena, Nutritional,Phenomena, Nutritional Physiological,Phenomena, Nutritional Physiology,Phenomenon, Nutrition Physiological,Phenomenon, Nutritional Physiological,Phenomenon, Nutritional Physiology,Physiological Concept, Nutrition,Physiological Concepts, Nutrition,Physiological Phenomena, Nutrition,Physiological Phenomena, Nutritional,Physiological Phenomenon, Nutrition,Physiological Phenomenon, Nutritional,Physiology Concept, Nutritional,Physiology Concepts, Nutritional,Physiology Phenomena, Nutritional,Physiology Phenomenon, Nutritional,Physiology, Nutrition,Physiology, Nutritional,Process, Nutrition,Process, Nutritional,Processes, Nutrition,Processes, Nutritional
D011506	Proteins	Linear POLYPEPTIDES that are synthesized on RIBOSOMES and may be further modified, crosslinked, cleaved, or assembled into complex proteins with several subunits. The specific sequence of AMINO ACIDS determines the shape the polypeptide will take, during PROTEIN FOLDING, and the function of the protein.	Gene Products, Protein,Gene Proteins,Protein,Protein Gene Products,Proteins, Gene
D003300	Copper	A heavy metal trace element with the atomic symbol Cu, atomic number 29, and atomic weight 63.55.	Copper-63,Copper 63
D006527	Hepatolenticular Degeneration	A rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by the deposition of copper in the BRAIN; LIVER; CORNEA; and other organs. It is caused by defects in the ATP7B gene encoding copper-transporting ATPase 2 (EC 3.6.3.4), also known as the Wilson disease protein. The overload of copper inevitably leads to progressive liver and neurological dysfunction such as LIVER CIRRHOSIS; TREMOR; ATAXIA and intellectual deterioration. Hepatic dysfunction may precede neurologic dysfunction by several years.	Cerebral Pseudosclerosis,Neurohepatic Degeneration,Pseudosclerosis,Wilson Disease,Copper Storage Disease,Hepatic Form of Wilson Disease,Hepato-Neurologic Wilson Disease,Hepatocerebral Degeneration,Hepatolenticular Degeneration Syndrome,Kinnier-Wilson Disease,Progressive Lenticular Degeneration,Westphal-Strumpell Syndrome,Wilson Disease, Hepatic Form,Wilson's Disease,Cerebral Pseudoscleroses,Copper Storage Diseases,Degeneration Syndrome, Hepatolenticular,Degeneration Syndromes, Hepatolenticular,Degeneration, Hepatocerebral,Degeneration, Hepatolenticular,Degeneration, Neurohepatic,Degeneration, Progressive Lenticular,Degenerations, Hepatocerebral,Degenerations, Neurohepatic,Disease, Copper Storage,Diseases, Copper Storage,Diseases, Hepato-Neurologic Wilson,Diseases, Kinnier-Wilson,Hepato Neurologic Wilson Disease,Hepato-Neurologic Wilson Diseases,Hepatocerebral Degenerations,Hepatolenticular Degeneration Syndromes,Kinnier Wilson Disease,Kinnier-Wilson Diseases,Lenticular Degeneration, Progressive,Neurohepatic Degenerations,Pseudoscleroses, Cerebral,Pseudosclerosis, Cerebral,Storage Disease, Copper,Storage Diseases, Copper,Syndrome, Hepatolenticular Degeneration,Syndromes, Hepatolenticular Degeneration,Westphal Strumpell Syndrome,Westphal-Strumpell Syndromes,Wilson Disease, Hepato-Neurologic,Wilson Diseases, Hepato-Neurologic,Wilsons Disease
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man