We have investigated the reaction products of several iron(III) compounds with hydrogen peroxide, and have found that hydrogen peroxide promotes the formation of an oxo-bridged iron(III) species in the presence of methanol (electron donor), and carboxyl groups of the ligand systems play a role to give the tetranuclear iron(III) compound containing a bent Fe-O-Fe unit (O: oxo oxygen atom). Based...

Bacterioferritin (Bfr) is a spherical protein composed of 24 subunits and 12 heme molecules. Bfrs contribute to regulate iron homeostasis in bacteria by capturing soluble but potentially toxic Fe(2+) and by compartmentalizing it in the form of a bioavailable ferric mineral inside the protein's hollow cavity. When iron is needed, Fe(3+) is reduced and mobilized into the cytosol as Fe(2+). Hence,...

Ferritins are recognized as key players in the iron storage and detoxification processes. Iron acquisition in the case of pathogenic bacteria has long been established as an important virulence mechanism. Here, we report a 3.0 Å crystal structure of a ferritin, annotated as Bacterioferritin B (BfrB), from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis that continues to be...

AIM Iron accumulation in foam cells was previously shown to be involved in atherogenesis. However, the mechanism for iron accumulation was not clarified. Ceruloplasmin (Cp) is an important factor in cellular iron efflux and was found to be downregulated in atherosclerotic plaques in our previous study. The current study is to investigate the role of Cp in atherosclerosis. METHODS We used RAW2...