University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dept. of Biochemistry and Redox Biology Center, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
Mol Aspects Med. 2013 Apr-Jun;34(2-3):561-70. doi: 10.1016/j.mam.2012.07.011.
Copper is a vital mineral for many organisms, yet it is highly toxic as demonstrated by serious health concerns associated with its deficiency or excess accumulation. The SLC31 (CTR) family of copper transporters is a major gateway of copper acquisition in eukaryotes, ranging from yeast to humans. Characterization of the function, modes of action, and regulation of CTR and other molecular factors that functionally cooperate with CTR for copper transport, compartmentalization, incorporation into cuproproteins, and detoxification has revealed that organisms have evolved fascinating mechanisms for tight control of copper metabolism. This research progress further indicates the significance of copper in health and disease and opens avenues for therapeutic control of copper bioavailability and its metabolic pathways.
铜是许多生物体必需的矿物质，但它也具有高度毒性，其缺乏或过量积累会导致严重的健康问题。SLC31（CTR）家族的铜转运蛋白是真核生物（从酵母到人类）获取铜的主要途径。对 CTR 及其与铜转运、区室化、掺入铜蛋白和解毒功能上合作的其他分子因子的功能、作用模式和调控的研究，揭示了生物体进化出了令人着迷的机制来严格控制铜代谢。这一研究进展进一步表明了铜在健康和疾病中的重要性，并为铜生物利用度及其代谢途径的治疗性控制开辟了道路。
