Iron homeostasis
Research
Iron is a trace-substance needed for the survival of all organisms, and is essential for the proliferation and survival of cells. Iron is also necessary for a well working immune system. But, together with oxygen, iron can form free oxygen radicals, causing oxidative stress, which in its turn, leads to serious cell and tissue damage. Therefore, each organism (and every cell!) needs to keep the iron concentration at a moderate (non-toxic) level. The dual challenge of avoiding iron deficiency and iron overload has resulted in a tight controlled and complex regulation of iron homeostasis. Alternation of iron pools of an organism is the result of a complex network of events, acting at the transcriptional and translational level to change the expression of proteins involved in transport, uptake, utilization, and storage of iron.
Several studies (by us and others) have showed that the iron homeostasis in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, is regulated in a similar way as in mammals. Therefore, we are using this insect as a model for studying the mechanism of iron homeostasis. The long-term goal is to understand the regulatory events behind how organisms and individual cells response to iron overload or depletion, and which proteins are involved to keep the iron homeostasis in balance. A particular focus will be given to the regulation of mitochondrial iron homeostasis. Furthermore, we are also investigated the link between iron and immunity. Iron can be used in cytotoxic defence. In addition, an organism can use the statement that an intruding microbe also needs iron for its survival. Therefore, organisms have developed defence mechanism by withholding vital iron from intruders. This phenomenon is known as nutritional immunity, and actually both ferritin (iron-storage protein) and transferrin (iron-transport protein) are acute-phase proteins. Project leader is Maria Lind Karlberg.