First published online November 24, 2004
Development 131, 2406e (2004)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
Ironing out iron uptake in zebrafish
Iron is vital for normal development – its acquisition by red blood
cells (RBCs) allows hemaglobin (Hb) production and the delivery of oxygen to
developing tissues. However, free iron is toxic to cells and its uptake and
transport requires precise regulation. Vertebrate cells mostly obtain iron
through transferrin (Tf) receptors, which bind the iron carrier, Tf. Wingert
and colleagues now describe three new Tf receptors in zebrafish, Tfr1a, Tfr1b
and Tfr2 (see p.
6225). They report
that tfr1a mutations cause perturbed Hb production and anemia in the
chianti zebrafish mutant, and that tfr1a is specifically
required by developing RBCs for iron uptake. By contrast, tfr1b is
not required by developing RBCs and probably acquires iron for non-erthyroid
tissues instead. Importantly, the authors' findings highlight chianti
as the ideal model for studying Tfr1 functions specifically in erythropoiesis,
in the absence of other developmental defects.
Related articles in Development:
- The chianti zebrafish mutant provides a model for erythroid-specific disruption of transferrin receptor 1
- Rebecca A. Wingert, Alison Brownlie, Jenna L. Galloway, Kimberly Dooley, Paula Fraenkel, Jennifer L. Axe, Alan J. Davidson, Bruce Barut, Laura Noriega, Xiaoming Sheng, Yi Zhou, Tübingen 2000 Screen Consortium, and Leonard I. Zon
Development 2004 131: 6225-6235.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
