Mammalian Zinc Transport, Trafficking, and Signals*

By R. Cousins, J. Liuzzi, Louis A. Lichten. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2006

694 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Structural, catalytic, and regulatory functions of zinc in biology continue to be defined. The number of genes coding for proteins with zinc-binding domains is conservatively estimated at 3% of the human genome but possibly is asmuch as 10% (1, 2). Zinc utilization in abundant, yet diverse, applications illustrateswhy organisms have evolved specific pathways to homeostatically regulate availability of this essential micronutrient at specific cellular sites through an array of transporters. Animals regulate zinc gain and loss efficiently. In humans, about 1% of the total body zinc content is replenished daily by the diet (3). This is accomplished principally by tight control of two systems, absorption from the intestine and endogenous loss via pancreatic and other intestinal secretions. Loss-of-function studies have not provided a delineation of how zinc participates in physiologic activities. Nevertheless, immune function and resistance to infection and control of nitrosative and/or oxidative stress of inflammation are two areas of particular contemporary interest. Unfolding knowledge of cell type-specific expression of zinc transporter genes that respond differentially to hormonal and cytokine stimulation should aid in understanding the role of zinc in these physiologic systems. Coordination of intracellular zinc trafficking has focused on the cysteine-rich protein metallothionein (MT).2 Zinc-dependent expression of Mt and its well documented response to multiple mediators, including oxidants, cytokines, hormones, and nitric oxide, have been extensively investigated. Here we review recent findings of how zinc transporters andMT influencemammalian cellular zincmetabolism and signaling pathways.

Subfields: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis, Hematology, Nutrition and Dietetics

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/5be40cc49ab0894f519c42358bf696412d2dd2ef

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In Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

  1. Taiho Kambe
  2. Ayako Hashimoto
  3. Tokuji Tsuji
  4. Naoya Itsumura

In Hematology

  1. Taiho Kambe
  2. Ayako Hashimoto
  3. R. Hurrell
  4. Tokuji Tsuji
  5. Naoya Itsumura

In Nutrition and Dietetics

  1. Taiho Kambe
  2. Rainer Schulin
  3. Ayako Hashimoto
  4. Roya Kelishadi
  5. R. Hurrell
  6. N. Roohani
  7. Tokuji Tsuji
  8. Naoya Itsumura

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