title: Expression analysis of zinc transporters in resting and stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: Intracellular zinc homeostasis is tightly regulated under physiological conditions; however, dysregulation of zinc levels has been reported in various chronic inflammatory and malignant diseases. In this study, we aimed to assess the expression pattern of the 24 currently known zinc transporters in resting and stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The cells were isolated from healthy probands and subsequently stimulated with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) for 3 days. The expression levels of zinc transporters [Zrt/IRT-like protein (ZIP) and cation diffusion facilitator/zinc transporter protein (CDF/ZnT) families] were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Of the 24 genes encoding for zinc transporters, 19 were found to be ubiquitously expressed in PBMCs. ZIP5 and ZnT10 were not found in all 5 samples, whereas ZIP12, ZnT3 and ZIP2 were expressed in only 1-2 out of 5 PBMC samples. Of note, stimulation by PHA led to an overall downregulation of zinc transporters in the PBMCs of 4 out of the 5 subjects. Notably, the transcript levels of ZIP14 were consistently induced and those of ZIP3 and ZIP4 consistently downregulated in all 5 subjects, whereas the corresponding levels of the remaining 21 genes varied. Data from this study may facilitate a better understanding of the pathophysiological role of deregulated zinc transporters in chronic inflammatory diseases.
authors.affiliation: Medical Laboratory for Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular Genetics, Otto von Guericke University, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany ; Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Otto von Guericke University, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wex
authors.affiliation: Practice of Hepatology, Otto von Guericke University, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grungreiff
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Otto von Guericke University, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schutte
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Otto von Guericke University, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stengritt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Otto von Guericke University, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reinhold
keywords: Zrt-Irt-like protein; peripheral blood cells; quantitative polymerase chain reaction; zinc transporter; zinc transporter protein