There is persuasive epidemiological evidence that regular intake of dietary bioactive polyphenolic compounds promotes human health. Because dietary polyphenolic compounds have a wide range of effects in vivo and vitro, including chelation of metals such as iron, it is prudent to test whether the regular consumption of bioactive polyphenolic components impair the utilization of dietary iron. We ...

Haem carrier protein 1 (Hcpl) is a component of the haem-iron uptake pathway in the small intestine. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we examined the expression of Hcp1 and other intestinal iron-transporting proteins in male C57BL/6 mice with experimentally altered iron homeostasis. Intestinal Hcp1 mRNA content was not significantly changed by iron overload (600 mg/kg); however, it was increas...

Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 2 (Nramp2) has been suggested to be involved in transferrin-independent iron uptake. Two isoforms of the Nramp2 gene generated by alternative splicing of the 3' exons were identified in mouse, rat and human, but it is unclear if they perform distinct functions. To rationalize our previous work, which indicated an increase in iron deposition in a ...

Iron is an essential nutrient for the growth of most bacteria. To obtain iron, bacteria have developed specific iron-transport systems located on the membrane surface to uptake iron and iron complexes such as ferrichrome. Interference with the iron-acquisition systems should be therefore an efficient strategy to suppress bacterial growth and infection. Based on the chemical similarity of iron a...

Human erythroid precursors grown in culture possess membrane receptors that bind and internalize acid isoferritin. These receptors are regulated by the iron status of the cell, implying that ferritin iron uptake may represent a normal physiologic pathway. The present studies describe the fate of internalized ferritin, the mechanisms involved in the release of its iron, and the recognition of th...

The Arabidopsis FRO2 gene encodes the low-iron-inducible ferric chelate reductase responsible for reduction of iron at the root surface. Here, we report that FRO2 and IRT1, the major transporter responsible for high-affinity iron uptake from the soil, are coordinately regulated at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. FRO2 and IRT1 are induced together following the impositio...

Astrocytes are central to iron and ascorbate homoeostasis within the brain. Although NTBI (non-transferrin-bound iron) may be a major form of iron imported by astrocytes in vivo, the mechanisms responsible remain unclear. The present study examines NTBI uptake by cultured astrocytes and the involvement of ascorbate and DMT1 (divalent metal transporter 1). We demonstrate that iron accumulation b...

Human erythroid precursors grown in culture possess membrane receptors that bind and internalize acid isoferritin. These receptors are regulated by the iron status of the cell, implying that ferritin iron uptake may represent a normal physiologic pathway. The present studies describe the fate of internalized ferritin, the mechanisms involved in the release of its iron, and the recognition of th...

Dicotyledonous plants growing under limited iron availability initiate a response resulting in the solubilization, reduction, and uptake of soil iron. The protein factors responsible for these steps are transmembrane proteins, suggesting that the intracellular trafficking machinery may be involved in iron acquisition. In search for components involved in the regulation of Arabidopsis thaliana i...