Transferrin receptor 2 (TfR2) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TFR2 gene. [5] [6] This protein is involved in the uptake of transferrin-bound iron into cells by endocytosis, although its role is minor compared to transferrin receptor 1.
This gene is a member of the transferrin receptor-like family and encodes a single-pass type II membrane protein with a protease associated (PA) domain, an M28 peptidase domain and a transferrin receptor-like dimerization domain. This protein mediates cellular uptake of transferrin-bound iron and mutations in this gene have been associated with hereditary hemochromatosis type III. Alternatively spliced variants which encode different protein isoforms have been described; however, not all variants have been fully characterized. [7]
Hereditary haemochromatosis type 1 is a genetic disorder characterized by excessive intestinal absorption of dietary iron, resulting in a pathological increase in total body iron stores. Humans, like most animals, have no means to excrete excess iron, with the exception of menstruation which, for the average woman, results in a loss of 3.2 mg of iron.
Penetrance in genetics is the proportion of individuals carrying a particular variant of a gene that also expresses an associated trait. In medical genetics, the penetrance of a disease-causing mutation is the proportion of individuals with the mutation that exhibit clinical symptoms among all individuals with such mutation. For example, if a mutation in the gene responsible for a particular autosomal dominant disorder has 95% penetrance, then 95% of those with the mutation will develop the disease, while 5% will not.
Transferrins are glycoproteins found in vertebrates which bind and consequently mediate the transport of iron (Fe) through blood plasma. They are produced in the liver and contain binding sites for two Fe3+ ions. Human transferrin is encoded by the TF gene and produced as a 76 kDa glycoprotein.
Iron overload or haemochromatosis indicates increased total accumulation of iron in the body from any cause and resulting organ damage. The most important causes are hereditary haemochromatosis, a genetic disorder, and transfusional iron overload, which can result from repeated blood transfusions.
Human iron metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that maintain human homeostasis of iron at the systemic and cellular level. Iron is both necessary to the body and potentially toxic. Controlling iron levels in the body is a critically important part of many aspects of human health and disease. Hematologists have been especially interested in systemic iron metabolism, because iron is essential for red blood cells, where most of the human body's iron is contained. Understanding iron metabolism is also important for understanding diseases of iron overload, such as hereditary hemochromatosis, and iron deficiency, such as iron-deficiency anemia.
Ferroportin-1, also known as solute carrier family 40 member 1 (SLC40A1) or iron-regulated transporter 1 (IREG1), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC40A1 gene. Ferroportin is a transmembrane protein that transports iron from the inside of a cell to the outside of the cell. Ferroportin is the only known iron exporter.
African iron overload is an iron overload disorder first observed among people of African descent in Southern Africa and Central Africa. It is now recognized to actually be two disorders with different causes, possibly compounding each other:
Human homeostatic iron regulator protein, also known as the HFE protein, is a transmembrane protein that in humans is encoded by the HFE gene. The HFE gene is located on short arm of chromosome 6 at location 6p22.2
Hemojuvelin (HJV), also known as repulsive guidance molecule C (RGMc) or hemochromatosis type 2 protein (HFE2), is a membrane-bound and soluble protein in mammals that is responsible for the iron overload condition known as juvenile hemochromatosis in humans, a severe form of hemochromatosis. In humans, the hemojuvelin protein is encoded by the HFE2 gene. Hemojuvelin is a member of the repulsive guidance molecule family of proteins. Both RGMa and RGMb are found in the nervous system, while hemojuvelin is found in skeletal muscle and the liver.
In medical genetics, compound heterozygosity is the condition of having two or more heterogeneous recessive alleles at a particular locus that can cause genetic disease in a heterozygous state; that is, an organism is a compound heterozygote when it has two recessive alleles for the same gene, but with those two alleles being different from each other. Compound heterozygosity reflects the diversity of the mutation base for many autosomal recessive genetic disorders; mutations in most disease-causing genes have arisen many times. This means that many cases of disease arise in individuals who have two unrelated alleles, who technically are heterozygotes, but both the alleles are defective.
Transferrin receptor (TfR) is a carrier protein for transferrin. It is needed for the import of iron into cells and is regulated in response to intracellular iron concentration. It imports iron by internalizing the transferrin-iron complex through receptor-mediated endocytosis. The existence of a receptor for transferrin iron uptake has been recognized since the late 1950s. Earlier two transferrin receptors in humans, transferrin receptor 1 and transferrin receptor 2 had been characterized and until recently cellular iron uptake was believed to occur chiefly via these two well documented transferrin receptors. Both these receptors are transmembrane glycoproteins. TfR1 is a high affinity ubiquitously expressed receptor while expression of TfR2 is restricted to certain cell types and is unaffected by intracellular iron concentrations. TfR2 binds to transferrin with a 25-30 fold lower affinity than TfR1. Although TfR1 mediated iron uptake is the major pathway for iron acquisition by most cells and especially developing erythrocytes, several studies have indicated that the uptake mechanism varies depending upon the cell type. It is also reported that Tf uptake exists independent of these TfRs although the mechanisms are not well characterized. The multifunctional glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase has been shown to utilize post translational modifications to exhibit higher order moonlighting behavior wherein it switches its function as a holo or apo transferrin receptor leading to either iron delivery or iron export respectively.
Erythrocyte membrane protein band 4.2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the EPB42 gene. It is part of the red blood cell cytoskeleton.
Transferrin receptor protein 1 (TfR1), also known as Cluster of Differentiation 71 (CD71), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TFRC gene. TfR1 is required for iron import from transferrin into cells by endocytosis.
Spectrin alpha chain, erythrocyte is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SPTA1 gene.
Endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) also known as activated protein C receptor is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PROCR gene. PROCR has also recently been designated CD201.
Haemochromatosis type 3 is a type of iron overload disorder associated with deficiencies in transferrin receptor 2. It exhibits an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. The first confirmed case was diagnosed in 1865 by French doctor Trousseau. Later in 1889, the German doctor von Recklinghausen indicated that the liver contains iron, and due to bleeding being considered to be the cause, he called the pigment "Haemochromatosis." In 1935, English doctor Sheldon's groundbreaking book titled, Haemochromatosis, reviewed 311 patient case reports and presented the idea that haemochromatosis was a congenital metabolic disorder. Hereditary haemochromatosis is a congenital disorder which affects the regulation of iron metabolism thus causing increased gut absorption of iron and a gradual build-up of pathologic iron deposits in the liver and other internal organs, joint capsules and the skin. The iron overload could potentially cause serious disease from the age of 40–50 years. In the final stages of the disease, the major symptoms include liver cirrhosis, diabetes and bronze-colored skin. There are four types of hereditary hemochromatosis which are classified depending on the age of onset and other factors such as genetic cause and mode of inheritance.
Cubilin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CUBN gene.
Stomatin also known as human erythrocyte integral membrane protein band 7 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the STOM gene.
Hemochromatosis type 4 is a hereditary iron overload disorder that affects ferroportin, an iron transport protein needed to export iron from cells into circulation. Although the disease is rare, it is found throughout the world and affects people from various ethnic groups. While the majority of individuals with type 4 hemochromatosis have a relatively mild form of the disease, some affected individuals have a more severe form. As the disease progresses, iron may accumulate in the tissues of affected individuals over time, potentially resulting in organ damage.
The HFE H63D is a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the HFE gene, which results in the substitution of a histidine for an aspartic acid at amino acid position 63 of the HFE protein (p.His63Asp). HFE participates in the regulation of iron absorption.