Human Molecular Genetics Advance Access published online on July 28, 2004
Human Molecular Genetics, doi:10.1093/hmg/ddh232
© 2004 by Oxford University Press
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Department of Biological and Technological Research, IRCCS H. San Raffaele, Milano, 20132 Italy
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: levi.sonia{at}hsr.it.
Mitochondrial ferritin (MtF) is structurally and functionally similar to the cytosolic ferritins, molecules designed to store and detoxify cellular iron. MtF expression in human and mouse is restricted to the testis and few tissues, and it is abundant in the erythroblasts of patients with sideroblastic anemia, where it is thought to protect the mitochondria from the damage caused by iron loading. Mitochondria iron overload occurs also in cells deficient in frataxin, a mitochondrial protein involved in iron handling and implicated in Friedreich ataxia. We expressed human MtF in frataxin-deficient yeast cells, a well-characterized model of mitochondrial iron overload and oxidative damage. The human MtF precursor was efficiently imported by yeast mitochondria and processed to functional ferritin that actively sequestered iron in the organelle. MtF expression rescued the respiratory deficiency caused by the loss of frataxin protecting the activity of iron-sulfur enzymes and enabling frataxin-deficient cells to grow on non-fermentable carbon sources. Furthermore, MtF expression prevented the development of mitochondrial iron overload, preserved mitochondrial DNA integrity, and increased cell resistance to H2O2. The data show that MtF can substitute for most frataxin functions in yeast, suggesting that frataxin is directly involved in mitochondrial iron binding and detoxification.
Article
The expression of human mitochondrial ferritin rescues respiratory function in frataxin-deficient yeast
2 Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
3 Dipartimento Materno Infantile e Tecnologie Biomediche, University of Brescia, 25125 Italy
4 Department of Biological and Technological Research, IRCCS H. San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, Milano, 20132 Italy
![]()
Abstract ![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
P. Santambrogio, G. Biasiotto, F. Sanvito, S. Olivieri, P. Arosio, and S. Levi Mitochondrial Ferritin Expression in Adult Mouse Tissues J. Histochem. Cytochem., November 1, 2007; 55(11): 1129 - 1137. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. Camaschella, A. Campanella, L. De Falco, L. Boschetto, R. Merlini, L. Silvestri, S. Levi, and A. Iolascon The human counterpart of zebrafish shiraz shows sideroblastic-like microcytic anemia and iron overload Blood, August 15, 2007; 110(4): 1353 - 1358. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Dolezal, A. Dancis, E. Lesuisse, R. Sutak, I. Hrdy, T. M. Embley, and J. Tachezy Frataxin, a Conserved Mitochondrial Protein, in the Hydrogenosome of Trichomonas vaginalis Eukaryot. Cell, August 1, 2007; 6(8): 1431 - 1438. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. Boddaert, K. H. Le Quan Sang, A. Rotig, A. Leroy-Willig, S. Gallet, F. Brunelle, D. Sidi, J.-C. Thalabard, A. Munnich, and Z. I. Cabantchik Selective iron chelation in Friedreich ataxia: biologic and clinical implications Blood, July 1, 2007; 110(1): 401 - 408. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
H. Ding, J. Yang, L. C. Coleman, and S. Yeung Distinct Iron Binding Property of Two Putative Iron Donors for the Iron-Sulfur Cluster Assembly: IscA AND THE BACTERIAL FRATAXIN ORTHOLOG CyaY UNDER PHYSIOLOGICAL AND OXIDATIVE STRESS CONDITIONS J. Biol. Chem., March 16, 2007; 282(11): 7997 - 8004. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Y. Zhang, E. R. Lyver, S. A. B. Knight, D. Pain, E. Lesuisse, and A. Dancis Mrs3p, Mrs4p, and Frataxin Provide Iron for Fe-S Cluster Synthesis in Mitochondria J. Biol. Chem., August 11, 2006; 281(32): 22493 - 22502. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
V. Irazusta, E. Cabiscol, G. Reverter-Branchat, J. Ros, and J. Tamarit Manganese Is the Link between Frataxin and Iron-Sulfur Deficiency in the Yeast Model of Friedreich Ataxia J. Biol. Chem., May 5, 2006; 281(18): 12227 - 12232. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
F. Missirlis, S. Holmberg, T. Georgieva, B. C. Dunkov, T. A. Rouault, and J. H. Law Characterization of mitochondrial ferritin in Drosophila PNAS, April 11, 2006; 103(15): 5893 - 5898. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
I. Napier, P. Ponka, and D. R. Richardson Iron trafficking in the mitochondrion: novel pathways revealed by disease Blood, March 1, 2005; 105(5): 1867 - 1874. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
B. Sturm, U. Bistrich, M. Schranzhofer, J. P. Sarsero, U. Rauen, B. Scheiber-Mojdehkar, H. de Groot, P. Ioannou, and F. Petrat Friedreich's Ataxia, No Changes in Mitochondrial Labile Iron in Human Lymphoblasts and Fibroblasts: A DECREASE IN ANTIOXIDATIVE CAPACITY? J. Biol. Chem., February 25, 2005; 280(8): 6701 - 6708. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||




