Polymerization of metallothioneins is one of the
usually encountered puzzles during the research process
of metallothioneins' structure and function. Our work
focuses on the cysteine independently occurred polymerization
from metallothioneins monomers in different milieus, while
it leaves out the aggregation caused by the oxidation of
cysteine, because the latter circumstance is the result
of purification lapsus. After the purification of metallothioneins
monomers, a dynamic light-scattering technique is used
to detect the polymerized states of rabbit liver metallothionein
I and II in different buffers, which is the first systematical
detection of polymerized states of metallothioneins in
solutions. The effects of different compositions of each
buffer are discussed in details. Steric complementarity,
hydrophobic, and electrostatic interaction characteristics
are studied, following the modeling of monomers and relevant
polymers of rat metallothionein II, rabbit liver metallothionein
I and II. These theoretical calculations are the first
complete computer simulations on different factors affecting
metallothioneins' polymerization. A molecular recognition
mechanism of metallothioneins' polymerization in solutions
is proposed on the bases of experimental results and theoretical
calculations. Preliminary X-ray studies of two crystal
forms of rabbit liver metallothionein II are compared with
the crystal structure of rat metallothionein II, and the
polymerized states in crystal packing are discussed with
the knowledge of polymerization of metallothioneins in
solutions. The hypothesis, which is consistent with theoretical
calculations and experimental results, is expected to construct
a connection between the biochemical characteristics and
physiological functions of metallothioneins, and this research
may give some enlightenment to the topics of protein polymerizations.