Abstract
Iron (Fe) is an essential, but potentially noxious, metal for almost all organisms. Its precise cellular regulation is necessary to ensure synthesis of numerous iron-containing proteins required for metabolic processes yet at the same time avoiding the build-up of potentially toxic levels of iron. In humans, iron-deficiency results in anemia, while excess iron can lead to organ damage as a result of a build-up of non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI). In recent years, the cloning of novel proteins has clarified the mechanisms of iron uptake, storage and metabolic regulation. Our current knowledge of the molecular aspects of mammalian iron metabolism and NTBI are presented in this review.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 69-80 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Hemoglobin |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 2006 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 7 Jul 2009 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
We wish to thank the Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom and the Wellcome Trust for financial support. The present address of Basharut A. Syed is as follows: Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Keywords
- Iron (Fe) metabolism
- Iron-overload
- Melanotransferrin (MTf)
- Non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI)
- Transferrin (Tf)
- Transferrin receptor (TfR)
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Hematology
- Biochemistry