A novel iron responsive element in the 3'UTR of human MRCKalpha

Human untranslated region (UTR) databases were searched to identify novel proteins potentially regulated by an iron responsive element (IRE), and found two candidates-cell cycle phosphatase Cdc14A variant 1 and myotonic dystrophy kinase-related Cdc42-binding kinase alpha (MRCKalpha), both possessing a putative IRE in their 3'UTR. In further experiments, we focused on MRCKalpha. Biochemical analyses of the MRCKalpha IRE revealed that it was functional and mediated the response to iron level in the same way as transferrin receptor 1 IREs (TfR) did. Similarly to TfR mRNA, MRCKalpha mRNA is stabilized, when iron supply is low, while it is destabilized under iron-rich conditions. The expression of MRCKalpha mRNA was found to be ubiquitous; the highest levels were noted in testes, the lowest in skeletal muscle. The level of MRCKalpha mRNA in various tissues strongly positively correlates with the level of TfR mRNA, indicating its possible role in the transferrin iron uptake pathway.