title: Utilization of iron complexes in an animal cell.
abstract: The ciliate protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila was grown in synthetic nutrient medium in the absence of the iron chelator citrate. Utilization and toxicity of various iron compounds or complexes in iron-starved cells were assessed from the number of cell doublings obtained within a standard time. The compounds tested included complexes formed between ortho-phosphates and two forms of ferric hydroxides, native and cationized ferritin, and tris-acetylacetonato Fe(III). The ferric hydroxo ortho-phosphate particles are toxic and can be removed from the medium by Millipore filtration. Uptake of ferritin and tris-acetylacetonato-Fe(III) is independent of food vacuole formation and seems to occur by micropinocytosis and by plasma membrane translocation, respectively.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D013768:Tetrahymena / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron