title: Iron metabolism in mammalian cells.
abstract: Most living things require iron to exist. Iron has many functions within cells but is rarely found unbound because of its propensity to catalyze the formation of toxic free radicals. Thus the regulation of iron requirements by cells and the acquisition and uptake of iron into tissues in multicellular organisms is tightly regulated. In humans, understanding iron transport and utility has recently been advanced by a "great conjunction" of molecular genetics in simple organisms, identifying genes involved in genetic diseases of metal metabolism and by the application of traditional cell physiology approaches. We are now able to approach a rudimentary understanding of the "iron cycle" within mammals. In the future, this information will be applied toward modulating the outcome of therapies designed to overcome diseases involving metals.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Centre, and Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Tiong
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Jefferies
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004386:Duodenum / Q000378:metabolism; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D019189:Iron Metabolism Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D035925:Iron-Regulatory Proteins; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D014168:Transferrin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C103673:HFE protein, human; D006680:HLA Antigens; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D035925:Iron-Regulatory Proteins; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D014168:Transferrin; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; D002570:Ceruloplasmin