[The role of iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) in the regulation of systemic iron homeostasis: lessons from studies on IRP1 and IRP2 knock out mice]

Abstract

The iron regulatory proteins (IRP1 and IRP2) are two cytoplasmic RNA-binding proteins that control iron metabolism in mammalian cells. Both IRPs bind to specific sequences, called iron-responsive elements (IREs), located in the 3' or 5' untranslated regions (UTR) of several mRNAs, in particular the mRNA encoding ferritin subunits and transferrin receptor. At low intracellular iron concentration, IRPs bind to the IRE of ferritin mRNA at its 5'-UTR and block translation, whereas they stabilize transferrin receptor mRNA through direct interactions with several IRE motifs in the 3'-UTR. The converse regulation of ferritin and TfR synthesis, resulting from lack of binding of IRPs to IRE, occurs in cells with high iron level. In both, iron deficiency and excess IRP-mediated regulation rapidly restore the physiological cytosolic iron level. The role of IRPs in maintaining the intracelluar iron balance has been well characterized in numerous types of mammalian cells in culture. However, the importance of IRPs in the regulation of systemic iron metabolism in mammals, in particular in signaling between cells which play major roles in body iron metabolism, such as duodenal enterocytes, reticuloendothelial macrophages, hepatocytes, and bone marrow precursors of red blood cells, is only beginning to be investigated. This review presents the basic features of iron metabolism in IRP1 and IRP2 knockout mice and focuses on how recent studies on these animal models have advanced our understanding of the role of IRPs in iron mammalian physiology.