Ni(II) carcinogenesis and binding to Cap43 protein

Nickel compunds are well known as human carcinogens. The carcinogenity of nickel compounds has been confirmed by numerous epidemiological studies in humans and animals. The leading concepts in nickel carcinogenesis involves oxidative promutagenic DNA damage and epigenetic effects in chromatin resulting from nickel binding inside the cell nucleus.We have analyzed, for Ni(II) binding, the 30-amino acid C-terminal fragment of the protein, by a combined pH-metric and spectroscopic study. The fragment showed to bind one, two and three metal ions depending on the metal to ligand molar ratio.