and spleen systems cannot be attributed to lack of precision of the assays (p = 0.01). We analyzedpurifiedliverferritin at several concentrations by immunoradiometric assay, using the spleen system, and similarly analyzed purified spleen fernitin, using the liver system. When theresultsforthepurifiedferntins were plotted along with the standards used in the analyses, the two fernitins appeared ...

Previous studies have revealed that several factors influenced the relatively low success of iron supplementation for pregnant women. The factors included poor distribution, low coverage and compliance, as well as low absorption. The aim of this study is to measure the iron status of pregnant women after consuming crackers containing fish powder and iron-folate. This study was carried out in th...

Iron deposition in the unusual 12-subunit ferritin from thebacterium Listeria innocua proceeds in three phases: a rapidfirst phase in which Fe(2+) binds to the apoprotein, P(Z) of charge Z, according to the postulatedreaction 2Fe(2+)+P(Z)-->[Fe(2)-P](Z+2)+2H(+), where[Fe(2)-P](Z+2) represents adinuclear iron(II) complex formed at each of the 12 ferroxidase centresof the protein; a second phase ...

Mitochondrial ferritin (MtF) is structurally and functionally similar to the cytosolic ferritins, molecules designed to store and detoxify cellular iron. MtF expression in human and mouse is restricted to the testis and few tissues, and it is abundant in the erythroblasts of patients with sideroblastic anemia, where it is thought to protect the mitochondria from the damage caused by iron loadin...

Transcriptomic studies of marine organisms are still in their infancy. A partial, subtracted expressed sequence tag (EST) library of the Caribbean octocoral Erythropodium caribaeorum and the sea fan Gorgonia ventalina has been analyzed in order to find novel genes or differences in gene expression related to potential secondary metabolite production or symbioses. This approach entails enrichmen...

We investigated the prevalence of positive viral hepatitis titres in sickle cell disease (SCD) and the relationship of abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) to transfusions and ferritin levels. Charts from 141 patients with SCD were reviewed and recent laboratory data on serum ferritin, hepatitis serology, units of packed red blood cells transfused and LFTs were collected. Hepatitis B core antib...

Iron is an essential cofactor for many enzymes; however, this metal can lead to the formation of reactive oxygen species. Ferritin proteins bind and oxidize Fe(2+) to Fe(3+), storing this metal in a nonreactive form. In some organisms, a particular subfamily of ferritins, namely, Dps proteins, have the ability to bind DNA. Here we show that the Campylobacter jejuni Dps has DNA binding activity ...

Cyanobacteria are key contributors to global photosynthetic productivity, and iron availability is essential for cyanobacterial proliferation. While iron is abundant in the earth's crust, its unique chemical properties render it a limiting factor for photoautotrophic growth. As compared to other nonphotosynthetic organisms, oxygenic photosynthetic organisms such as cyanobacteria, algae, and gre...

A gene encoding Bfr (bacterioferritin) was identified and isolated from the genome of Desulfovibrio vulgaris cells, and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. In vitro, H(2)O(2) oxidizes Fe(2+) ions at much higher reaction rates than O(2). The H(2)O(2) oxidation of two Fe(2+) ions was proven by Mössbauer spectroscopy of rapid freeze-quenched samples. On the basis of the Mössbauer parameters of the ...

Dps proteins are the structural relatives of bacterioferritins and ferritins ubiquitously present in the bacterial and archaeal kingdoms. The ball-shaped enzymes play important roles in the detoxification of ROS (reactive oxygen species), in iron scavenging to prevent Fenton reactions and in the mechanical protection of DNA. Detoxification of ROS and iron chaperoning represent the most archetyp...