Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and heme, non-heme iron metabolism

Mitochondria are one of the most important organelles for eukaryotes, including humans, to produce energy. In energy-producing process, mitochondria constantly generate reactive oxygen species as a by-product electrons leaking out from electron transport chain react with oxygen. The active oxygen, in turn, plays pivotal roles mediating several signalings, those that implicated development some diseases such neurodegenerative disease, cardiovascular and carcinogenesis. This signaling, derived mitochondrial species, also affects intracellular iron homeostasis by regulating expression transporters. Heme is incorporated into cells through HCP1, non-heme transported DMT1 absorptive cells. Intracellular exported ferroportin bound transferrin. types cell erythrocyte, transferrin-bound transferrin-transferrin receptor system. We previously reported HCP1 was upregulated cancer overexpression manganese superoxide dismutase, which mitochondrial-specific downregulated expression. These findings indicate associated iron-related oxidative reactions. Recently, mitochondria-specific transporter, mitoferrin, identified, relationships among mitochondria, transportation, have been increasingly clarified.