Fol. Biol. 2000, 46, 77-81
Role of Melanotransferrin (p97) in Non-transferrin Iron Uptake by HeLa and K562 Cells
We tested whether melanotransferrin (p97), an iron-binding protein of the plasma membrane, is involved in the transport of non-transferrin iron into human HeLa and K562 cells. The expression of melanotransferrin was detected in HeLa but not in K562 cells. PI-PLC treatment dramatically decreased (to 20% of the original value) p97 expression by HeLa cells. However, the rate of iron uptake from 55Fe-ferric citrate by PI-PLC-treated HeLa cells was comparable or only slightly lower (80-100%) than the rate of iron uptake by untreated cells. PI-PLC treatment had no effect on iron uptake by K562 cells. These findings strongly support the suggestion that melanotransferrin does not play a substantial role in non-transferrin iron uptake by either Hela or K562 cells.
Keywords
melanotransferrin, p97, non-transferrin iron uptake, HeLa cells, K562 cells.
Funding
This work was supported by the grant 95011 of the US-Czechoslovak Science and Technology Program and by the grant 45052702 of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.
References
Copyright
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.