Investigating the role of transferrin in the distribution of iron, manganese, copper, and zinc.

ABSTRACT: The essential role of transferrin in mammalian iron metabolism is firmly established. Integral to our understanding of transferrin, studies in hypotransferrinemic mice, a model of inherited transferrin deficiency, have demonstrated that transferrin is essential for iron delivery for erythropoiesis and in the regulation of expression of hepcidin, a hormone that inhibits macrophage and enterocyte iron efflux. Here we investigate a potential role for transferrin in the distribution of three other physiologic metals, manganese, copper, and zinc. We first assessed metal content in transferrin-rich fractions of wild-type mouse sera and demonstrate that although both iron and manganese cofractionated predominantly with transferrin, the absolute levels of manganese are several orders of magnitude

SUBMITTER: Herrera C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4119503 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature