Fleet J C
University of North Carolina, Greensboro 27412-5001, USA.
Nutr Rev. 1998 Mar;56(3):88-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.1998.tb01701.x.
Although a number of iron-binding proteins have been identified, the roles for specific proteins in mediating iron absorption have not been definitively assigned. Two recent papers report the identification of an iron transport protein that may be responsible for movement of iron from the intestinal lumen into the enterocyte. Coupled with the recent identification of the protein mutated in hemochromatosis, researchers are now establishing a clearer picture of the mechanism of intestinal iron absorption.
