| Homepage | Imprint |
|
||
 |
Hepcidin
{{Protbox codes |Symbol=HAMP |AltSymbols= |Chromosome=19 |Locus=q13.1 |AApre=84 |AApro=20, 22, 25 |HGNCid=15598 |Codes=EntrezGene57817, RefSeqNM_021175, UniProtP81172, OMIM606464 }} </table> Hepcidin is a recently discovered peptide, produced by the liver, that appears to be the master regulator of iron homeostasisin humans and other mammals. In a search for antimicrobial peptides, researchers working in the lab of Tomas Ganzdiscovered a peptide associated with inflammation, and named it "hepcidin" after observing that it was produced in the liver ("hep-") and appeared to have bacteriocidal properties ("-cidin" for "killing"). Another group working independently also isolated this peptide and named it LEAP-1, for Liver-Expressed Antimicrobial Protein. Both groups were focused on the antimicrobial properties of the peptide. HAMP is the genethat encodes for hepcidin. Soon after this discovery, other researchers discovered that hepcidin production in mice increased in conditions of iron overload as well as in inflammation. Transgenicmiceengineered to overexpress hepcidin died shortly after birth with severe iron deficiency, again suggesting a central and not redundant role in iron regulation. Another researcher looked at tissue from two patients with liver tumorswith a severe microcyticanemia that did not respond to iron supplementation. The tumor tissue appeared to be overproducing hepdicin, and contained large quantities of hepcidin mRNA. Removing the tumors surgically cured the anemia. Taken together, these discoveries suggested that hepcidin regulated the release of iron in the body. More recent discoveries have shown that hepcidin directly interacts with ferroportin, a protein that transports iron out of cells that store it. This is another confirmation that hepcidin is directly involved in iron homeostasis. References
External links
Categories: Blood| Hematology| Biochemistry
| |||
