title: Ironing out Ferroportin.
abstract: Maintaining physiologic iron concentrations in tissues is critical for metabolism and host defense. Iron absorption in the duodenum, recycling of iron from senescent erythrocytes, and iron mobilization from storage in macrophages and hepatocytes constitute the major iron flows into plasma for distribution to tissues, predominantly for erythropoiesis. All iron transfer to plasma occurs through the iron exporter ferroportin. The concentration of functional membrane-associated ferroportin is controlled by its ligand, the iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin, and fine-tuned by regulatory mechanisms serving iron homeostasis, oxygen utilization, host defense, and erythropoiesis. Fundamental questions about the structure and biology of ferroportin remain to be answered.
authors.affiliation: MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.
authors.forename: Hal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Drakesmith
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nemeth
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Pathology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Electronic address: tganz@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ganz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D004920:Erythropoiesis / Q000235:genetics*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D000098742:Ferroportin
chemical_list: D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D064451:Hepcidins; D000098742:Ferroportin; D007501:Iron