Iron is a versatile redox-active catalyst and a required cofactor within a diverse array of biological processes. To almost all organisms, iron is both essential and potentially toxic, where homeostatic concentrations must be stringently maintained. Within the iron-restricted host, the survival and proliferation of microbial invaders is contingent upon exploiting the host iron pool. Bacteria ex...

Inorganic iron can be transported into cells in the absence of transferrin. Ferric iron enters cells utilizing an integrin-mobilferrin-paraferritin pathway, whereas ferrous iron uptake is facilitated by divalent metal transporter-1 (DMT-1). Immunoprecipitation studies using antimobilferrin antibody precipitated the previously described large-molecular-weight protein complex named paraferritin. ...

Surface functionalized magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are a kind of novel functional materials, which have been widely used in the biotechnology and catalysis. This review focuses on the recent development and various strategies in preparation, structure, and magnetic properties of naked and surface functionalized iron oxide NPs and their corresponding application briefly. In order to ...

A mechanism for the absorption of inorganic iron in the small intestine is described in which integrins appear to play an important role in the passage of iron across microvillous membranes. Biochemical isolates from microvillous preparations of duodenum from rats dosed with radioiron showed radioactivity concentrated in integrins. The presence of integrins on mucosal surfaces of duodenal cells...

From the nutritional standpoint, several aspects of the biochemistry and physiology of iron are unique. In stark contrast to most other elements, most of the iron in mammals is in the blood attached to red blood cell hemoglobin and transporting oxygen to cells for oxidative phosphorylation and other purposes. Controlled and uncontrolled blood loss thus has a major impact on iron availability. A...

Iron is essential for eukaryotic biochemistry. Systematic trafficking and storage is required to maintain supply of iron while preventing it from catalysing unwanted reactions, particularly the generation of oxidising reactive species. Iron dyshomeostasis has been implicated in major age-associated diseases including cancers, neurodegeneration and heart disease. Here, we employ population-level...