Expression of soluble, active, fluorescently tagged hephaestin in COS and CHO cell lines.

Hephaestin (Hp) is a trans-membrane protein, which plays a critical role in intestinal iron absorption. Hp was originally identified as the gene responsible for the phenotype of sex-linked anaemia in the mouse. The mutation in the protein causes accumulation of dietary iron in duodenal cells, causing severe microcytic hypochromic anaemia.

Current market trends in anterior ocular inflammatory disease landscape.

Purpose Of Review: In the US anterior ocular inflammatory disease (AOID) composed of the spectrum of ocular allergies, different forms of infectious conjunctivitis, and dry eye diseases, affects over 40% of the population. This review evaluates the current economic costs for AOID associated pharmacotherapies.

Recent Findings: In recent years, with improved understanding in pathophysiology of the AOID, providing novel targets for pharmacotherapy, have led to considerable improvements in outcomes for patients.

Current options and emerging therapies for anterior ocular inflammatory disease.

Purpose Of Review: Ophthalmic disorders are highly prevalent in the United States, with approximately 3.5 million individuals aged at least 40 either blind or having impaired vision. This article reviews the current leading agents and pipeline therapies for the treatment of anterior ocular inflammatory disease (AOID).

Pharmacoeconomics of anterior ocular inflammatory disease.

Purpose Of Review: Anterior ocular inflammatory disease (AOID) affects more that 40% of the U.S. population, which includes ocular allergies, various forms of infectious conjunctivitis, and dry eye diseases (tear film dysfunction).

Identification of zyklopen, a new member of the vertebrate multicopper ferroxidase family, and characterization in rodents and human cells.

We previously detected a membrane-bound, copper-containing oxidase that may be involved in iron efflux in BeWo cells, a human placental cell line. We have now identified a gene encoding a predicted multicopper ferroxidase (MCF) with a putative C-terminal membrane-spanning sequence and high sequence identity to hephaestin (Heph) and ceruloplasmin (Cp), the other known vertebrate MCF. Molecular modeling revealed conservation of all type I, II, and III copper-binding sites as well as a putative iron-binding site.

An overview of molecular aspects of iron metabolism.

Iron (Fe) is an essential, but potentially noxious, metal for almost all organisms. Its precise cellular regulation is necessary to ensure synthesis of numerous iron-containing proteins required for metabolic processes yet at the same time avoiding the build-up of potentially toxic levels of iron. In humans, iron-deficiency results in anemia, while excess iron can lead to organ damage as a result of a build-up of non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI).

Hephaestin is a ferroxidase that maintains partial activity in sex-linked anemia mice.

Hephaestin (Hp) plays an important role in intestinal iron absorption and is predicted to be a ferroxidase based on significant sequence identity to the serum multicopper ferroxidase ceruloplasmin. Here, we demonstrate that Hp has both amine oxidase and ferroxidase activity in cultured cells and primary intestinal enterocytes with the use of both gel and solution assays. The specificity of the activity is shown by immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, and immunodepletion experiments.

Analysis of the human hephaestin gene and protein: comparative modelling of the N-terminus ecto-domain based upon ceruloplasmin.

Hephaestin was implicated in mammalian iron homeostasis following its identification as the defective gene in murine sex-linked anaemia. It is a member of the family of copper oxidases that includes mammalian ceruloplasmin, factors V and VIII, yeast fet3 and fet5 and bacterial ascorbate oxidase. Hephaestin is different from ceruloplasmin, a soluble ferroxidase, in having a membrane-spanning region towards the C-terminus.