Intracellular iron transport and storage: from molecular mechanisms to health implications.

Maintenance of proper "labile iron" levels is a critical component in preserving homeostasis. Iron is a vital element that is a constituent of a number of important macromolecules, including those involved in energy production, respiration, DNA synthesis, and metabolism; however, excess "labile iron" is potentially detrimental to the cell or organism or both because of its propensity to participate in oxidation-reduction reactions that generate harmful free radicals. Because of this dual nature, elaborate systems tightly control the concentration of available iron.

Role and regulation of ferritin H in rotenone-mediated mitochondrial oxidative stress.

Tight regulation of intracellular iron levels in response to mitochondrial dysfunction is an important mechanism that prevents oxidative stress, thereby limiting cellular damage. Here, we describe a cytoprotective response involving transcriptional activation of the ferritin H gene in response to the mitochondrial complex I inhibitor and neurotoxic compound rotenone. Rotenone exposure increased ferritin H mRNA and protein synthesis in NIH3T3 fibroblasts and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.

Elevated intracellular calcium increases ferritin H expression through an NFAT-independent post-transcriptional mechanism involving mRNA stabilization.

An increase in intracellular Ca2+ is one of the initiating events in T-cell activation. A calcium-mediated signalling cascade in T-cells involves activation of calcineurin and the dephosphorylation and translocation of NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T-cells), resulting in the transcriptional activation of target genes such as IL-2 (interleukin-2). In the present study, we found that increased intracellular calcium leads to induction of the antioxidant protein ferritin H.

Hemin-mediated regulation of an antioxidant-responsive element of the human ferritin H gene and role of Ref-1 during erythroid differentiation of K562 cells.

An effective utilization of intracellular iron is a prerequisite for erythroid differentiation and hemoglobinization. Ferritin, consisting of 24 subunits of H and L, plays a crucial role in iron homeostasis. Here, we have found that the H subunit of the ferritin gene is activated at the transcriptional level during hemin-induced differentiation of K562 human erythroleukemic cells.