A novel plant ferritin subunit from soybean that is related to a mechanism in iron release

Ferritin is a multimeric iron storage protein composed of 24 subunits. Ferritin purified from dried soybean seed resolves into two peptides of 26.5 and 28 kDa. To date, the 26.5-kDa subunit has been supposed to be generated from the 28-kDa subunit by cleavage of the N-terminal region. We performed amino acid sequence analysis of the 28-kDa subunit and found that it had a different sequence from the 26.5-kDa subunit, thus rendering it novel among known soybean ferritins. We cloned a cDNA encoding this novel subunit from 10-day-old seedlings, each of which contained developed bifoliates, an epicotyl and a terminal bud. The 26.5-kDa subunit was found to be identical to that identified previously lacking the C-terminal 16 residues that correspond to the E helix of mammalian ferritin. However, the corresponding region in the 28-kDa soybean ferritin subunit identified in this study was not susceptible to cleavage. We present evidence that the two different ferritin subunits in soybean dry seeds show differential sensitivity to protease digestions and that the novel, uncleaved 28-kDa ferritin subunit appears to stabilize the ferritin shell by co-existing with the cleaved 26.5-kDa subunit. These data demonstrate that soybean ferritin is composed of at least two different subunits, which have cooperative functional roles in soybean seeds.     

Two different H-type subunits from pea seed (Pisum sativum) ferritin that are responsible for fast Fe(II) oxidation

It was established that ferritin from pea seed is composed of 26.5 and 28.0kDa subunits, but the relationship between the two subunits is unclear. The present study by both MALDI-TOF-MS and MS/MS indicated that the 28.0kDa subunit is distinct from the 26.5kDa subunit although they might share high homology in amino acid sequence, a result suggesting that pea seed ferritin is encoded by at least two genes. This result is not consistent with previous proposal that the 28.0kDa subunit is converted into the 26.5kDa subunit upon cleavage of its N-terminal sequence by free radical. Also, present results indicated that pea seed ferritin contains two different kinds of ferroxidase centers located in the 28.0 and 26.5kDa subunits, respectively. This is an exception among all known ferritins. Therefore, it is of special interest to know the role of the two subunits in iron oxidative deposition. Spectrophotometric titration and stopped flow results indicated that 48 ferrous ions can be bound and oxidized by oxygen at the ferroxidase sites, demonstrating that all of the ferroxidase sites are active and involved in fast Fe(II) oxidation. However, unlike H and L subunits in horse spleen ferritin (HoSF), both the 28.0 and 26.5 subunits lack cooperation in iron turnover into the inner cavity of pea seed ferritin.     

Ultrastructure of ferritin in the leaves of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mesembryanthemum crystallinum</Emphasis> under stress conditions

The location and structure of ferritin in the parenchyma of leaf minor veins of the common ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.) treated with exogenous putrescine under salinity conditions were investigated by electron microscopy. Considerable aggregates of ferritin were detected in the chloroplasts of bundle sheath cells, in companion phloem cells, and other parenchyma cells of leaf minor veins. The structure of ferritin in the vascular parenchyma chloroplasts suggests that it was partially degraded and converted to phytosiderin. This point of view is based on indistinct structure of Fe-containing cores of ferritin molecules, break of distance between the cores, and their pronounced ability to aggregate and produce larger structures. Aggregation of Fe-containing cores apparently pointed to the destruction of ferritin protein envelope or its partial degradation. In a certain stage of ferritin destruction, electron-dense material and the structures resembling small vesicles appeared between the Fe-containing cores. Electron-dense inclusions, whose structure was similar to that of phytosiderin, were also detected in the vacuoles. Examination of the cross sections done without additional staining showed that the same as ferritin, phytosiderin in the chloroplasts and vacuoles was dark-colored against weakly colored cellular structures. In the vascular parenchyma of control plant leaves, the level of ferritin and phytosiderin was greater than in the mesophyll and much lower than in the plants simultaneously treated with NaCl and putrescine. In control material, iron cores of ferritin and phytosiderin were more light-colored and 2–3 times smaller in size than in the experimental treatment. Destruction of ferritin essentially did not occur in the mesophyll but was observed in the chloroplasts of bundle sheath cells on the border between the mesophyll and vascular bundle. The presence of much ferritin and phytosiderin on the border between the mesophyll and the vessels is accounted for by the fact that the vascular parenchyma is a buffer area that maintains a specific concentration of iron in the mesophyll of leaves and other parts of the plant. Within the cell, the role of such a buffer is performed by ferritin and vacuoles. Transformation of ferritin to insoluble hydrophobic phytosiderin is supposed to be an efficient way of withdrawing the excess of active iron from the cellular metabolism and therefore of relaxing oxidative stress. Ferritin and phytosiderin were detected not only in parenchyma cells of leaf minor veins but in sieve tubes as well. This suggests that iron may be transported within the plant as a component of protein complex.     

Cloning and expression of 32 kDa ferritin from Galleria mellonella

We have sequenced a cDNA clone encoding 32-kDa ferritin subunit in the Wax Moth, Galleria mellonella. The 32-kDa ferritin subunit cDNA was obtained from PCR using identical primer designed from highly conserved regions of insect ferritins. RACE PCR was used to obtain the complete protein coding sequence. The 32-kDa ferritin subunit encoded a 232 amino acid polypeptide, containing a 19 leader peptide. The iron-responsive element (IRE) sequence with a predicted stem-loop structure was present in the 5'-untranslated region of the wax moth 32-kDa ferritin subunit mRNA. The 32-kDa sequence alignment had 78 and 69% identity with Manduca sexta and Calpodes ethlius (G), respectively. The G. mellonella ferritin subunits showed minimal identity with each other (19%). The glycosylation site (Asn-X-Ser/Thr) was found in the 32-kDa subunit but not in the 26-kDa subunit. Northern blot analysis showed that the mRNA expression of the 32-kDa ferritin was detected in the fat body and midgut. The fat body expression increased after 6 h and the mRNA in midgut dramatically increased about 3-fold the expression level at 12 h after iron feeding. Western blot revealed that a protein level of the 32-kDa subunit is abundant in midgut after 12 and 24 h iron feeding.     

Purification and characterization of ferritins from maize, pea, and soya bean seeds. Distribution in various pea organs

Ferritins from maize, pea, and soya bean seeds were purified. They contain two polypeptides of 28 and 26.5 kDa. The molecular weight of native pea seed ferritin has been estimated to be 540,000. Pea and maize seed ferritins were compared by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, amino acid composition, and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. They are very similar, although four isoforms of the 28-kDa polypeptide from the pea were observed in contrast to a unique polypeptide in maize. No isoforms of the 26.5-kDa polypeptide were detected. Rabbit antibodies were produced in response to pea seed ferritin. It was shown by Western blot analysis that ferritins of the three plants analyzed share immunological determinants. However, horse spleen ferritin was not recognized by the phytoferritin antibodies. Antibodies were also used to demonstrate that ferritins are not uniformly distributed in different pea organs from 30-day-old iron-unloaded plants. The protein was more abundant in flowers than in fruits and roots, and was not detected in leaves.     

Characterization of an insect ferritin subunit synthesized in a cell-free system

Ferritin, an iron-sequestering and -binding protein, is localized to the vacuolar system in Calpodes ethlius larvae. The amount of iron-loaded ferritin in intact larval midgut can be increased by pretreatment with iron. When poly(A)+ RNA from control or iron-treated larvae was translated in vitro, a 24 kilodalton (kDa) protein was a major translation product. If the cell-free system was supplemented with dog pancreatic microsomes, the 24-kDa protein was not detectable: the major translation product was 28-30 kDa. The 24-kDa and 28- to 30-kDa proteins were identified as ferritin subunits by immunoprecipitation with anti-Manduca ferritin antibodies. Proteinase K digestion of the translation products showed that the 28- to 30-kDa subunit was targeted into the lumen of, and protected by, the microsomes. The change in molecular mass of the ferritin monomer was attributed to glycosylation of the 24-kDa subunit within the lumen of the microsomes. This was demonstrated by (i) the ability of the 28- to 30-kDa subunit, but not the 24-kDa subunit, to bind concanavalin A on Western blots and (ii) inhibition of the change in molecular mass from 24 to 28-30 kDa if tunicamycin is added to the microsomes. The results indicate that the Calpodes ferritin subunit was synthesized, targeted to microsomes, and glycosylated within their lumen in a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free system primed with midgut poly(A)+ RNA extracted from control or iron-treated larvae.     

Isolation and characterization of ferritin from soyabeans (Glycine max)

Ferritin from the soyabean Glycine max was isolated and characterized. The protein has many features in common with ferritin from mammalian systems, including extensive sequence homology, as determined by two-dimensional peptide mapping. No immunocross-reactivity between the plant and animal proteins was detected. The ferritin isolated by MgCl2 precipitation has a single subunit of 28 kDa, whereas the ferritin remaining in the supernatant exhibits marked heterogeneity, with a main subunit of 22 kDa. This form of the protein appears to be the result of specific proteolytic processing that is not affected by serine protease inhibitors, and appears only after the seeds have been soaked long enough to induce germination. The appearance of the 22-kDa form corresponds to the appearance of "crystalline arrays" of ferritin in the amyloplasts of the plant cotyledons and may represent a plant form of hemosiderin. In support of this hypothesis, the 22-kDa protein appears to be incompletely assembled, as determined by sucrose gradient centrifugation and iron uptake studies. Although ferritin is normally quite resistant to proteolysis, the 22-kDa protein is easily generated from the 28-kDa form by treatment with subtilisin, suggesting the presence of a specific, protease-sensitive sequence on the protein's surface, possibly used to mark the phytoferritin for conversion to hemosiderin and construction of ferritin crystalline arrays.     

Human mitochondrial ferritin expressed in HeLa cells incorporates iron and affects cellular iron metabolism

Mitochondrial ferritin (MtF) is a newly identified ferritin encoded by an intronless gene on chromosome 5q23.1. The mature recombinant MtF has a ferroxidase center and binds iron in vitro similarly to H-ferritin. To explore the structural and functional aspects of MtF, we expressed the following forms in HeLa cells: the MtF precursor (approximately 28 kDa), a mutant MtF precursor with a mutated ferroxidase center, a truncated MtF lacking the approximately 6-kDa mitochondrial leader sequence, and a chimeric H-ferritin with this leader sequence. The experiments show that all constructs with the leader sequence were processed into approximately 22-kDa subunits that assembled into multimeric shells electrophoretically distinct from the cytosolic ferritins. Mature MtF was found in the matrix of mitochondria, where it is a homopolymer. The wild type MtF and the mitochondrially targeted H-ferritin both incorporated the (55)Fe label in vivo. The mutant MtF with an inactivated ferroxidase center did not take up iron, nor did the truncated MtF expressed transiently in cytoplasm. Increased levels of MtF both in transient and in stable transfectants resulted in a greater retention of iron as MtF in mitochondria, a decrease in the levels of cytosolic ferritins, and up-regulation of transferrin receptor. Neither effect occurred with the mutant MtF with the inactivated ferroxidase center. Our results indicate that exogenous iron is as available to mitochondrial ferritin as it is to cytosolic ferritins and that the level of MtF expression may have profound consequences for cellular iron homeostasis.     

Molecular characterization of the 28- and 31-kilodalton subunits of the Legionella pneumophila major outer membrane protein.

The major outer membrane protein of Legionella pneumophila exhibits an apparent molecular mass of 100 kDa. Previous studies revealed the oligomer to be composed of 28- and 31-kDa subunits; the latter subunit is covalently bound to peptidoglycan. These proteins exhibit cross-reactivity with polyclonal anti-31-kDa protein serum. In this study, we present evidence to confirm that the 31-kDa subunit is a 28-kDa subunit containing a bound fragment of peptidoglycan. Peptide maps of purified proteins were generated following cyanogen bromide cleavage or proteolysis with staphylococcal V8 protease. A comparison of the banding patterns resulting from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed a common pattern. Selected peptide fragments were sequenced on a gas phase microsequencer, and the sequence was compared with the sequence obtained for the 28-kDa protein. While the amino terminus of the 31-kDa protein was blocked, peptide fragments generated by cyanogen bromide treatment exhibited a sequence identical to that of the amino terminus of the 28-kDa protein, but beginning at amino acid four (glycine), which is preceded by methionine at the third position. This sequence, (Gly-Thr-Met)-Gly-Pro-Val-Trp-Thr-Pro-Gly-Asn ... , confirms that these proteins have a common amino terminus. An oligonucleotide synthesized from the codons of the common N-terminal amino acid sequence was used to establish by Southern and Northern (RNA) blot analyses that a single gene coded for both proteins. With regard to the putative porin structure, we have identified two major bands at 70 kDa and at approximately 120 kDa by nonreducing SDS-PAGE. The former may represent the typical trimeric motif, while the latter may represent either a double trimer or an aggregate. Analysis of these two forms by two-dimensional SDS-PAGE (first dimensions, nonreducing; second dimensions, reducing) established that both were composed of 31- and 28-kDa subunits cross-linked via interchain disulfide bonds. These studies confirm that the novel L. pneumophila major outer protein is covalently bound to peptidoglycan via a modified 28-kDa subunit (31-kDa anchor protein) and cross-linked to other 28-kDa subunits via interchain disulfide bonds.     

Regulation of the 75-kDa subunit of mitochondrial complex I by iron

Iron homeostasis is tightly regulated, as cells work to conserve this essential but potentially toxic metal. The translation of many iron proteins is controlled by the binding of two cytoplasmic proteins, iron regulatory protein 1 and 2 (IRP1 and IRP2) to stem loop structures, known as iron-responsive elements (IREs), found in the untranslated regions of their mRNAs. In short, when iron is depleted, IRP1 or IRP2 bind IREs; this decreases the synthesis of proteins involved in iron storage and mitochondrial metabolism (e.g. ferritin and mitochondrial aconitase) and increases the synthesis of those involved in iron uptake (e.g. transferrin receptor). It is likely that more iron-containing proteins have IREs and that other IRPs may exist. One obvious place to search is in Complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, which contains at least 6 iron-sulfur (Fe-S) subunits. Interestingly, in idiopathic Parkinson's disease, iron homeostasis is altered, and Complex I activity is diminished. These findings led us to investigate whether iron status affects the Fe-S subunits of Complex I. We found that the protein levels of the 75-kDa subunit of Complex I were modulated by levels of iron in the cell, whereas mRNA levels were minimally changed. Isolation of a clone of the 75-kDa Fe-S subunit with a more complete 5'-untranslated region sequence revealed a novel IRE-like stem loop sequence. RNA-protein gel shift assays demonstrated that a specific cytoplasmic protein bound the novel IRE and that the binding of the protein was affected by iron status. Western blot analysis and supershift assays showed that this cytosolic protein is neither IRP1 nor IRP2. In addition, ferritin IRE was able to compete for binding with this putative IRP. These results suggest that the 75-kDa Fe-S subunit of mitochondrial Complex I may be regulated by a novel IRE-IRP system.     

Subunits of purified calcium channels. Alpha 2 and delta are encoded by the same gene

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified rabbit skeletal muscle L-type calcium channel before and after reduction of disulfide bonds confirmed that 27- and 24-kDa forms of the delta subunit are disulfide-linked to the 143-kDa alpha 2 subunit. The amino acid sequences of three peptides obtained by tryptic digestion of the delta subunits corresponded to amino acid sequences predicted from the 3' region of the mRNA encoding alpha 2. One of these peptides had the same sequence as the N terminus of the 24- and 27-kDa forms of the delta subunit and corresponded to residues 935-946 of the predicted alpha 2 primary sequence. Anti-peptide antibodies directed to regions on the N-terminal side of this site recognized the 143-kDa alpha 2 subunit in immunoblots of purified calcium channels under reducing conditions, whereas an antipeptide antibody directed toward a sequence on the C-terminal side of this site recognized 24- and 27-kDa forms of the delta subunit. A similar result was obtained after immunoblotting using purified transverse tubules or crude microsomal membrane preparations indicating that alpha 2 and delta occur as distinct disulfide-linked polypeptides in skeletal muscle membranes. Thus, the delta subunits are encoded by the same gene as the alpha 2 subunit and are integral components of the skeletal muscle calcium channel.     

Purification of a specific repressor of ferritin mRNA translation from rabbit liver

The synthesis of ferritin is regulated at the translation level in coordination with iron availability. Under conditions of low iron, translation of ferritin mRNA is repressed and the majority of ferritin mRNA is non-polysomal. Upon an increase in iron, translation of ferritin mRNA is derepressed resulting in as much as a 50-100-fold increase in the rate of ferritin synthesis. This regulation is mediated at least in part by a specific translational repressor which binds to a conserved sequence, the iron responsive element, located in the 5'-untranslated region of ferritin mRNA. In this communication we report the purification of such a repressor from rabbit liver. This repressor, which we call the "ferritin repressor protein," has an apparent molecular mass of 90 kDa when analyzed by gel filtration chromatography. It inhibits translation of ferritin mRNA in a highly specific fashion when added to a wheat germ lysate programmed with liver poly(A+) mRNA. In addition, it binds specifically to sequences contained within the first 92 nucleotides of ferritin mRNA, most likely the iron responsive element. Analysis of highly purified repressor by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that it is composed primarily of a single polypeptide of approximately 90 kDa. Elution of this 90-kDa polypeptide from a sodium dodecyl sulfate gel followed by renaturation and analysis for repressor activity shows that it both binds to the 5'-untranslated region of ferritin mRNA and represses its translation in vitro.     

A novel ferritin gene, SferH-5, reveals heterogeneity of the 26.5-kDa subunit of soybean (Glycine max) seed ferritin

A novel ferritin cDNA, SferH-5, has been cloned from 7-day-old soybean seedlings. Putative SferH-5 has 96% identity with SferH-1 reported previously. All the five amino acid variants distributed in the mature region are not involved in highly conserved residues associated with ferroxidase activity center. We speculate that SferH-5 encodes a novel 26.5-kDa subunit of soybean seed ferritin, which is designated H-5 in this study. Recombinant H-5 was able to assemble, together with co-expressed H-2, as a functional soybean seed ferritin-like complex, H-5/H-2. Our data reveal the potential heterogeneity of the 26.5-kDa subunit of soybean seed ferritin.     

Subunit dimers in sheep spleen apoferritin. The effect on iron storage

Ferritin with high and low iron content, 2000 and 790 iron atoms/molecule, was isolated from the spleens of copper-poisoned and control lambs, respectively. Differences in the iron content in vivo were reflected in the properties of the apoferritin protein shells, since the apoprotein from the low iron ferritin took up iron relatively more slowly (0.52 +/- 0.09) and released it more rapidly (1.68 +/- 0.06) in vitro. Although the two types of apoferritin were indistinguishable in terms of surface charge (pI range 4.98-5.43) and in consisting of both heavy and light subunits, the subunit interactions differed markedly; 40-50% of the subunits of low iron ferritin were in dimers stable to reduction and carboxylmethylation, 4% mercaptoethanol, 8% sodium dodecyl sulfate, and 100 degrees C for 30 min, 70% formic acid, and 30% methanol. Subunit dimers were also observed in liver ferritin from mouse and neonatal pig and were enriched in a low iron fraction of horse spleen ferritin. Based on cyanogen bromide fragmentation and NH2-terminal analysis, the natural and chemically cross-linked subunit dimers had two peptides in common; natural subunit dimers also appeared to have a second region cross-linked, suggesting the possibility of both intra- and intersubunit links in the natural dimers. In sheep spleen ferritin, both heavy and light subunits appeared to participate in subunit dimerization. Natural subunit dimers were enriched in low iron ferritin fractions of all ferritin preparations tested (linear correlation = 0.94) and can explain, at least in part, the previously observed effects of iron core size on the apoferritin shell. Whether the subunit cross-links represent part of the subunit assembly process subsequently cleaved by iron (or copper) or whether the cross-links form after iron core formation in vivo has yet to determined. In either case, it is clear that such post-translational variations can affect iron uptake and release and emphasize the importance of the protein shell in determining the iron storage properties of ferritin.     

Specific phosphorylation of a COOH-terminal site on the full-length form of the alpha 1 subunit of the skeletal muscle calcium channel by cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

The primary (alpha 1) subunit of purified skeletal muscle dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channels is present in full-length (212 kDa) and truncated (190 kDa) forms which are both phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cA-PK) in vitro. In the present study, phosphorylation of the purified calcium channel by cA-PK followed by immunoprecipitation, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping revealed differential phosphorylation of the related 190- and 212-kDa forms. The 190-kDa form of the alpha 1 subunit was phosphorylated on three major and three minor tryptic phosphopeptides; the 212-kDa form was phosphorylated on all six of these phosphopeptides plus two that were unique. Time course experiments showed that a single site on the COOH-terminal portion of the full-length form of the alpha 1 subunit is most intensely and rapidly (within 10 s) phosphorylated. Phosphorylation occurs almost exclusively on this COOH-terminal site unless harsh conditions such as treatment with denaturing detergents are employed to expose phosphorylation sites within the 190-kDa segment of the molecule. Elution of phosphopeptides from the second dimension chromatograph followed by immunoprecipitation with an anti-peptide antibody (anti-CP1) directed against the COOH-terminal amino acid sequence enabled us to identify this major phosphorylation site as serine 1854. The nearby consensus sites for cA-PK phosphorylation at serines 1757 and 1772 were phosphorylated only after denaturation or proteolytic cleavage. Phosphorylation of serine 1854 may play a pivotal role in the regulation of calcium channel function by cA-PK.     

Isolation and partial amino acid sequence of three subunit species of porcine spleen ferritin: evidence of multiple H subunits

A partial amino acid sequence for three different subunits of the iron storage protein, ferritin, has been determined. Ferritin (Mr approximately 480,000) was isolated from porcine spleen and dissociated into its component subunits (Mr approximately 20,000). The subunits, in turn, were separated into three fractions by reversed-phase HPLC. The fractions appeared to be of equal size by sedimentation velocity, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and size-exclusion chromatography in 6 M guanidinium chloride. All three fractions were shown to be monomeric and to have no covalently attached carbohydrate (J. F. Collawn et al. (1984) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 233, 260-266). Determination of the amino acid sequence of the C-terminal 70-80 residues from each of the fractions demonstrated three different sequences. Comparison with human liver H and L subunit sequences indicates that two of the porcine ferritin subunits are H-type subunits and one is an L-type subunit. Application of the Chou-Fasman algorithm on the three partial sequences suggests that these respective regions from each of the three subunits would probably adopt the same conformation.     

Factors affecting the oligomeric structure of yeast external invertase

It has been assumed that yeast external invertase is a dimer, with each subunit composed of a 60-kDa polypeptide chain. We now present evidence that at its optimal pH of 5.0, the predominant form of external invertase is an octamer with an average size of 8 X 10(5) Da. During ultracentrifugation the octamer dissociated to lower molecular weight forms, including a hexamer, tetramer, and dimer. All forms of the enzyme were shown to possess identical specific activities and to contain a similar carbohydrate to protein ratio. Although the monomer subunits (1 X 10(5) Da) were heterogenous in carbohydrate content, each subunit possessed nine oligosaccharide chains. When stained for protein and enzyme activity following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, only the oligomeric form of the enzyme appeared to be active. Thus, on partially inactivating invertase with 4 M guanidine hydrochloride both octamer and monomer were evident on the gels but only the former was active. Similarly, incubating at pH 2.5 in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate yielded only inactive monomer. The monomer, unlike the active oligomeric aggregate, was unable to hydrolyze sucrose after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Consistent with the in vitro studies, freshly prepared yeast lysate was shown to contain the octameric species of external invertase as the major active form of this enzyme. From these studies and others which employed deglycosylated invertase, it is concluded that the carbohydrate component of external invertase contributes not only to stabilizing enzyme activity, but also to maintaining its oligomeric structure.     

A human mitochondrial ferritin encoded by an intronless gene

Ferritin is a ubiquitous protein that plays a critical role in regulating intracellular iron homoeostasis by storing iron inside its multimeric shell. It also plays an important role in detoxifying potentially harmful free ferrous iron to the less soluble ferric iron by virtue of the ferroxidase activity of the H subunit. Although excess iron is stored primarily in cytoplasm, most of the metabolically active iron in cells is processed in mitochondria. Little is yet known of how these organelles regulate iron homeostasis and toxicity. Here we report an unusual intronless gene on chromosome 5q23.1 that encodes a 242-amino acid precursor of a ferritin H-like protein. This 30-kDa protein is targeted to mitochondria and processed to a 22-kDa subunit that assembles into typical ferritin shells and has ferroxidase activity. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that it accumulates in high amounts in iron-loaded mitochondria of erythroblasts of subjects with impaired heme synthesis. This new ferritin may play an important role in the regulation of mitochondrial iron homeostasis and heme synthesis.     

Multiple subunits in human ferritins: Evidence for hybrid molecules

The subunit composition of human heart and liver ferritins was examined by both sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and acetic acidurea gel electrophoresis. These analyses indicated that both tissues contained two subunit types of similar size but different surface charge. One subunit was common to both tissues. The implications of these findings in relation to the known heterogeneity of isoferritins are discussed, and a new model of ferritin structure is proposed.