In previous analyses of transferrin saturation data in African Americans and Caucasians from the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II), subpopulations were found consistent with population genetics for common loci that influence iron metabolism. The goal of this new study was to determine if these transferrin saturation subpopulations have different levels of iron ...

Hepcidin expression in vivo is regulated in proportion to iron status (i.e., increased by iron loading and decreased in iron deficiency). However, in vitro studies with hepatoma cell lines often show an inverse relationship between iron status and hepcidin expression. Here, we investigated possible molecular mechanisms responsible for the differences in iron sensing between hepatoma cell lines ...

The transferrin receptor of Trypanosoma brucei (TbTfR) is a heterodimer glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored ESAG6 subunit and an ESAG7 subunit. To investigate whether the GPI-anchor essential for function TbTfR, with transmembrane domain instead (ESAG6tmd) was inducibly expressed in bloodstream form trypanosomes. It shown that ESAG6tmd able to dimerise TbTfR can bind transferrin. Fracti...

In previous studies, we have demonstrated that transferrin-gallium inhibits cellular proliferation by a mechanism whereby cellular iron utilization is impaired. Since indium, a similar class 3A metal, has not been well studied, we examined its effects on cellular iron uptake and cellular proliferation. In these studies, we provide evidence that indium, when bound to transferrin, has a 50-fold h...

Members of the families Neisseriaceae, Pasteurellaceae and Moraxellaceae are capable of transferrin-iron acquisition in the absence of siderophore production. They do so via expression of a bi-partite receptor composed of two dissimilar proteins, TbpA and TbpB. Both proteins are surface exposed, iron-regulated and capable of binding transferrin. However, other physiochemical, antigenic, and imm...

Host-pathogen interactions that alter virulence are influenced by critical nutrients such as iron. In humans, free iron is unavailable, being present only in high-affinity iron binding proteins such as transferrin. The fungal pathogen Candida albicans grows as a saprophyte on mucosal surfaces. Occasionally it invades systemically, and in this circumstance it will encounter transferrin iron. Her...