Department of Animal and Avian Sciences and Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA; email:
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA; email:
Annu Rev Nutr. 2022 Aug 22;42:311-335. doi: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-062320-112625. Epub 2022 May 4.
An abundant metal in the human body, iron is essential for key biological pathways including oxygen transport, DNA metabolism, and mitochondrial function. Most iron is bound to heme but it can also be incorporated into iron-sulfur clusters or bind directly to proteins. Iron's capacity to cycle between Fe and Fe contributes to its biological utility but also renders it toxic in excess. Heme is an iron-containing tetrapyrrole essential for diverse biological functions including gas transport and sensing, oxidative metabolism, and xenobiotic detoxification. Like iron, heme is essential yet toxic in excess. As such, both iron and heme homeostasis are tightly regulated. Here we discuss molecular and physiologic aspects of iron and heme metabolism. We focus on dietary absorption; cellular import; utilization; and export, recycling, and elimination, emphasizing studies published in recent years. We end with a discussion on current challenges and needs in the field of iron and heme biology.
铁是人体内含量丰富的金属，对包括氧运输、DNA 代谢和线粒体功能在内的关键生物途径至关重要。大多数铁与血红素结合，但也可以掺入铁硫簇或直接与蛋白质结合。铁在 Fe 和 Fe 之间循环的能力使其具有生物利用价值，但过量也使其具有毒性。血红素是一种含铁的四吡咯，对包括气体运输和感应、氧化代谢和外来化合物解毒在内的多种生物功能至关重要。与铁一样，血红素在过量时是必需的，但也是有毒的。因此，铁和血红素的稳态都受到严格的调节。在这里，我们讨论铁和血红素代谢的分子和生理方面。我们专注于饮食吸收；细胞摄取；利用；以及出口、回收和消除，强调近年来发表的研究。最后我们讨论了铁和血红素生物学领域当前的挑战和需求。
