Ferritins, iron uptake and storage from the bacterioferritin viewpoint.

ABSTRACT: Ferritins constitute a broad superfamily of iron storage proteins, widespread in all domains of life, in aerobic or anaerobic organisms. Ferritins isolated from bacteria may be haem-free or contain a haem. In the latter case they are called bacterioferritins. The primary function of ferritins inside cells is to store iron in the ferric form. A secondary function may be detoxification of iron or protection against O(2) and its radical products. Indeed, for bacterioferritins this is likely to be their primary function. Ferritins and bacteroferritins have essentially the same architecture, assembling in a 24mer cluster to form a hollow, roughly spherical construction. In this review, special emphasis is given to the structure of the ferroxidase centres with native iron-containing sites, since

SUBMITTER: Carrondo MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC156087 | biostudies-literature | 2003 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature