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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1986

Iron incorporation into apoferritin. The role of apoferritin as a ferroxidase.

Apoferritin catalyzes the oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III). Ferroxidase activity is assayed and characterized by coupling the oxidation with the binding of Fe(III) to transferrin. The initial rate of Fe(II) oxidation is dependent on apoferritin and initial Fe(II) concentration but independent of transferrin concentration. The ferroxidase activity is inhibited by Zn(II). Ferritins with varying loads of iron have the same ferroxidase activity level. It is suggested that the described oxidation process represents the initial step of iron deposition in apoferritin. Since transferrin can intercept Fe(III) before it is deposited in apoferritin, active sites for Fe(II) oxidation must be on or near the surface of apoferritin. This finding is contrary to the current view of apoferritin-catalyzed oxidation of Fe(II) which places active sites in the channels to the core or inside the central core.

Animals↗
PubMed1973

The formation of ferritin from apoferritin. Catalytic action of apoferritin.

The iron-storage protein ferritin consists of a protein shell and has an iron content of up to 4500 iron atoms as a microcrystalline ferric oxide hydrate. A study was made of the uptake of ferrous iron by apoferritin in the presence of an oxidizing agent at very low iron:protein ratios. At ratios of less than about 150 iron atoms per apoferritin molecule hyperbolic progress curves were obtained, whereas at higher ratios the curves became sigmoidal under the conditions used. A computer model, developed previously (Macara et al., 1972), was shown to account for this result. The experimental evidence indicates that apoferritin binds ferrous iron and catalyses the initial stage in the formation of the ferric oxide hydrate inside the protein shell. This stage involves the oxidation of sufficient iron within the protein molecule to form a stable nucleus on which the growth of the microcrystalline iron-core particles can proceed. A possible schematic mechanism for the action of apoferritin is suggested.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Neonatal hemochromatosis. Genetic analysis of transferrin-receptor, H-apoferritin, and L-apoferritin loci and of the human leukocyte antigen class I region.

Neonatal hemochromatosis (NH), a generally fatal disorder of infancy, is characterized by severe hepatic insufficiency of intrauterine onset and by marked organ iron loading. Its cause is unknown. It has been suggested that NH may represent an unusual manifestation of hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), which is human leukocyte antigen (HLA) linked. Evidence for major rearrangements or deletions at the HLA class I region and at three loci directly involved in iron metabolism (H- and L-apoferritin and the transferrin receptor [TfR]) was sought. The population studied included five probands with NH and 14 first-degree family members in a total of six kindreds. Also sought were HLA associations with NH by collating the results of HLA serotyping in these 19 persons and in 17 members of 7 additional kindreds in which NH has occurred, including 5 probands with NH and 12 first-degree family members. We found no evidence for major rearrangements or deletions in H- or L-apoferritin genes, in TfR genes, or within the HLA locus. We found no evidence for linkage of NH to HLA serotypes. We conclude that while NH and HH are similar in their patterns of iron loading, they are not genetically related.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Chemical modification as a probe of the topography and reactivity of horse-spleen apoferritin.

In apoferritin, but not in ferritin, 1.0 +/- 0.1 cysteine residue per subunit can be modified. In ferritin 3.3 +/- 0.3 lysine residues and 7.1 +/- 0.7 carboxyl groups per subunit can be modified, whilst the corresponding values for apoferritin are 4.4 +/- 0.4 lysine residues and 11.0 +/- 0.4 carboxyl groups per subunit. Modification of lysine residues which maleic anhydride and carboxyl groups with glycineamide in apoferritin which has been dissociated and denatured in guanidine hydrochloride leads to the introduction of 9.1 +/- 0.5 maleyl groups per subunit and 22.0 +/- 0.9 glycineamide residues per subunit. Whereas unmodified apoferritin subunit can be reassociated from guanidine hydrochloride to apoferritin monomer, the ability of maleylated apoferritin to reassociate is impaired. Apoferritin in which all the carboxyl groups have been blocked with glycineamide cannot be reassociated to apoferritin and exists in solution as stable subunits. The modification of one cysteine residue per subunit, of 3 or 4 lysine residues per subunit or of 7 carboxyl groups per subunit has no effect on the catalytic activity of apoferritin. In contrast the modification of 11 carboxyl groups per subunit completely abolishes the catalytic properties of the protein. We conclude that one or more carboxyl groups are essential for the catalytic activity of horse spleen apoferritin.

Amides↗
PubMed1976

Hydrogen ion interactions of horse spleen ferritin and apoferritin.

The interactions of horse spleen ferritin and its derivative apoferritin with H+ ions were studied by potentiometric and spectrophotometric titration; to aid in data analysis, heats of ionization over a limited pH range and amide content were also determined. Per apoferritin subunit, all tyrosine and cysteine side chains, two of the nine lysine side chains and at least three of the six histidine side chains were found not to titrate; a preliminary but self-consistent analysis of the titration data is proposed. The titration curve of ferritin was identical with that of apoferritin in the pH range 5.5 to 3. In addition, under the conditions used, the reactivities of ferritin histidines to bromoacetate and of ferritin lysines to formaldehyde were identical with those in apoferritin. Above pH 8, a time-dependent titration of the ferritin core occurs which prevents comparison of the titration curves of the two proteins in this region. However, in the pH regions 5.5 to 7.5, two extra groups per subunit titrate reversibly in ferritin relative to apoferritin. Moreover, although the isoionic points of ferritin and apoferritin are identical in water, the isoionic point of ferritin is 0.5 pH unit lower than that of apoferritin in 0.16 to 1 M KCl. The different effects of KCl and NaCl on the two proteins indicate the presence of cation binding sites in ferritin that are absent in apoferritin and possibly also the presence of anion binding sites in apoferritin that are occupied in ferritin by anions of the core. The difference between the isoionic points of the two proteins in KCl has been interpreted to indicate the presence of approximately 2 phosphate residues per ferritin subunit which serve as cation binding sites and which are negatively charged at the isoionic point in KCl. These phosphates may also represent the additional residues that titrate in ferritin between pH 5.5 and 7.5, or may interact with positively charged residues on the inner surface of the ferritin shell, or both.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Comparison of the physical properties of chemically prepared and tissue-endogenous equine apoferritins.

To support the case for a biological applicability of previous experiments performed on chemically prepared apoferritin, its hydrodynamic and circular dichroic properties were compared to those of tissue-endogenous apoferritin. The molecular weights and sedimentation coefficients of the two differently prepared apoferritins were identical. Similarly, their circular dichroic spectra between 310 and 200 nm were identical. These data support the hypothesis that chemically prepared apoferritin is identical with tissue-endogenous apoferritin. Ferritins exhibited low ultraviolet CD spectra quite similar to apoferritin except amplitudes were often as much as 8% less. Apoferritin subunits, prepared by acid dissociation, did not possess the positive 292 and 286 nm bands exhibited by the native molecule, although hydrodynamically the subunit behaves as a globular protein. This suggests the presence of tryptophanyl and tyrosyl residues at the subunit contact sites. Two characteristics of the apoferritin CD spectrum were proposed as means to evaluate the quality of apoferritin preparations. These are a ratio, [theta]286 [theta]222 = -4.5 X 10(-3) +/- 0.2 X 10(-3), and the wavelength region, 258 to 262 nm, at which the near ultraviolet CD spectrum goes from a positive to a negative sense.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Studies on iron uptake and micelle formation in ferritin and apoferritin.

Iron uptake and micelle formation in ferritin and apoferritin have been followed both spectrophotometrically and by means of sedimentation velocity experiments. Information was thus obtained on the molecular weight distribution of the reconstitution product. To achieve incorporation 'native' ferritin (whole ferritin as purified from horse spleen), 'native' apoferritin (apoferritin prepared by fractionation of ferritin preparations) and 'reduced' apoferritin (apoferritin prepared by reduction of ferritin by dithionite or ascorbic acid) have been incubated with ferrous salts in the presence of oxidizing agents under different experimental conditions. Although some iron is incorporated in 'native' ferritin, full saturation is not achieved and the molecular weight distribution of the incubated products remains heterogeneous. 'Native' and 'reduced' apoferritin show a similar iron incorporation, but the reconstitution products markedly differ in terms of their iron distribution. Ferritin reconstituted from 'native' apoferritin has a broad molecular weight distribution, while that reconstituted from 'reduced' apoferritin is characterized by a narrow, homogeneous molecular weight distribution. However treatment of apoferrition with reducing or oxidizing agents prior to the incubation alters the characteristics of the iron distribution without changing the iron incorporation properties. These results point to a role of the protein moiety not only in iron oxidation, but also in micelle formation.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The incorporation of iron into chicken apoferritin in the presence of ceruloplasmin.

After assaying the appropriate conditions for the experiments, the oxidation of iron with incorporation into chicken apoferritin was studied in the presence of ceruloplasmin, analysing the roles of iron, apoferritin and ceruloplasmin. The results show that the process is hastened by both apoferritin and ceruloplasmin. The dependence of the rate with respect to iron, apoferritin and ceruloplasmin concentrations was in general linear in the studied range. However, for low concentrations of iron or apoferritin the behaviour deviated from the linearity, suggesting that significant changes can happen in the mechanism of iron incorporation into apoferritin when the ratio of iron to apoferritin varies, which is in accordance with previous works. Finally, some differences found in the influence of the species on the process, with respect to an earlier report, open the possibility of differences in the affinity for iron between avian and mammalian apoferritins.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

In vitro loading of apoferritin.

This study compared the effect of loading apoferritin either with ferrous ammonium sulfate in various buffers or with ceruloplasmin and chelated ferrous iron. It was shown that loading of apoferritin with ferrous ammonium sulfate was dependent on buffer and pH, and was directly related to the rate of iron autoxidation. The ceruloplasmin-dependent loading of apoferritin, however, was unaffected by these factors. Isoelectric focusing and amino acid analysis of the differently loaded ferritins showed that ferrous ammonium sulfate loading of apoferritin resulted in the depletion of the basic amino acids, lysine and histidine, probably as a result of protein oxidation. No significant differences in amino acid composition was noted for ceruloplasmin-loaded ferritin. Furthermore, ferritin loaded with ferrous ammonium sulfate released more iron than either native or ceruloplasmin-loaded ferritin when either paraquat or EDTA was used as an iron mobilizing agent. We suggest that the loading of apoferritin with ferrous ammonium sulfate occurred as a result of iron autoxidation and may result in oxidation of amino acids and loss of integrity of the protein, and that ceruloplasmin may act as a catalyst for the incorporation of iron into apoferritin in a manner more closely related to that occurring in vivo.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1983

A distinct environment for iron (III) in the complex with horse spleen apoferritin observed by x-ray absorption spectroscopy.

Cell-specific variations in apoferritin structure correlate with variations in iron metabolism that suggest functional specificity of the protein shell. Using EPR spectroscopy, we previously showed that vanadyl binds to specific sites on apoferritin, and that VO2+ binding is reduced by Fe(II) and Fe(III) (the natural substrates) and by metals known to influence iron storage (Chasteen, N. D., and Theil, E. C. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 7672-7677). Such observations suggest that the metal-binding site is important to apoferritin function and may define a location where the influence of cell-specific structural features are exerted. To investigate the iron-protein complex further, we have used x-ray absorption spectroscopy and have characterized, for the first time to our knowledge, Fe(III) apparently attached to the protein, after analyzing the x-ray absorption spectrum of an Fe(III)-apoferritin complex (10 Fe/molecule) compared to that of ferritin (polynuclear Fe(III)OOH, about 2000/molecule). The environment of iron in the Fe(III)-protein complex was similar to that in an Fe(III)-oxalate (2:3) hexahydrate complex, both in near edge structure and extended x-ray absorption structure, confirming earlier predictions of carboxylates as protein ligands. The extended x-ray absorption fine structure data for both compounds was fit best by a model in which a second shell of low Z atoms (carbon) was close (0.53-0.55 A) to the first shell of coordinated oxygen. However, small differences between Fe(III)-apoferritin and Fe(III)-oxalate in the Fe-O environment suggest a distorted geometry in the Fe(III)-protein complex and/or the presence of a mixture of atoms, such as nitrogen and oxygen, coordinated to iron. Extension of this approach to other apoferritins and metals will be likely to clarify the role of cell-specific features of the apoprotein in the formation of the iron core.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

In vitro stimulation of apoferritin synthesis by iron.

The apparent induction of apoferritin synthesis by iron has been examined in cell-free systems from rat and rabbit liver. Both systems allowed the complete synthesis de novo of apoferritin isolated by chromatographic or immunological means. Addition of iron at levels of 0.2--1 mM specifically stimulated incorporation of radioactive amino acids into apoferritin purified after classical heat extraction. The effect was also observed when iron was added at the end of the incubation period in the absence of continuing protein synthesis. Further, iron addition had no effect on the amount of newly synthesised apoferritin subunits as estimated by direct immunological precipitation from the reaction mixture. These results suggest that iron acts at some stage subsequent to translation in stimulating apoferritin biosynthesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Primary structure of rat liver apoferritin. The amino end.

Rat liver apoferritin is known to have a blocked amino end. From a pronase digest of rat liver apoferritin we have isolated and purified by ion-exchange chromatography the blocked N-terminal tripeptide. Its sequence and the nature of the blocking group were shown to be Ser-Ser-Gln and an acetyl moiety, respectively. The N-terminal sequence of rat liver apoferritin is thus N-acetyl-Ser-Ser-Gln, which coincides with the N-terminal sequence of horse-spleen apoferritin, the only other apoferritin studied structurally at present.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

The amino acid sequence of human liver apoferritin.

The protein component of the iron storage molecule, ferritin, contains 24 subunits in form of a hollow shell known as apoferritin. The amino acid sequence has been determined for apoferritin subunits from human liver. The sequence comprises 174 amino acids giving an Mr of 19 900. It shows extensive homology with the primary structures of apoferritins from human and horse spleen and from rat liver. Sequence substitutions are discussed in relation to the known three-dimensional structure of horse spleen apoferritin. Evidence for a second minor sequence in human liver apoferritin is presented.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Structure of gene and pseudogenes of human apoferritin H.

Ferritin is composed of two subunits, H and L. cDNA's coding for these proteins from human liver (1,2,3), lymphocytes (4) and from the monocyte-like cell line U937 (5) have been cloned and sequenced. Southern blot analysis on total human DNA reveals that there are many DNA segments hybridizing to the apoferritin H and L cDNA probes (1,2,4,6). In view of the tissue heterogeneity of ferritin molecules (7,8), it appeared possible that apoferritin molecules could be coded by a family of genes differentially expressed in various tissues (1,2). In this paper we describe the cloning and sequencing of the gene coding for human apoferritin H. This gene has three introns; the exon sequence is identical to that of cDNA's isolated from human liver, lymphocytes, HeLa cells and endothelial cells. In addition we show that at least 15 intronless pseudogenes exist, with features suggesting that they were originated by reverse transcription and insertion. On the basis of these results we conclude that only one gene is responsible for the synthesis of the majority of apoferritin H mRNA in various tissues examined, and that probably all the other DNA segments hybridizing with apoferritin cDNA are pseudogenes.

Apoferritins↗
PubMed1991

Uptake of iron by apoferritin from a ferric dihydrolipoate complex.

A study was made on the uptake of iron by horse spleen apoferritin, by using as an iron source the same ferric dihydrolipoate complex which represents the major product in the anaerobic removal of ferritin-bound iron by dihydrolipoate at neutral pH. The ferric dihydrolipoate complex was chemically synthesized and used as an iron donor to apoferritin. Iron uptake was studied, at slightly alkaline pH and in anaerobic conditions, as a function of the concentration of both the iron donor and apoferritin. Isolation of ferritin from mixtures of ferric dihydrolipoate and apoferritin, and subsequent identification of the oxidation state of ferritin-bound iron, showed that the first metal atoms were taken up in the ferrous form and that this early step was accompanied by accumulation of ferric iron. Total iron uptake increased with the molar ratio of complex to apoprotein and ranged over 25-40% of the iron being supplied. The amount of ferrous iron found inside the protein did not exceed 50-60 mol iron/mol ferritin after a 48-h incubation. At this time, ferric iron represented a significant fraction of the iron found in the isolated ferritin. Analytical and spectroscopic data indicated that fractional rates and equilibria for disassembly of the ferric complex in the presence of apoferritin were independent of the concentration of the protein and of the complex itself.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Selective adsorption of apoferritin on immobilized Fe(III): demonstration of Fe(III) binding sites.

Immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography has been used to demonstrate and partially characterize Fe(III) binding sites on apoferritin. Binding of Fe(III) to these sites is influenced by pH, but not affected by high ionic strength. These results suggest that both ionic and coordinate covalent interactions are important in the formation of the Fe(III): apoferritin complex. This is, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of direct Fe(III) binding to apoferritin. Other immobilized metal ions, including Zn(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Cr(III), Co(II), and Tb(III), displayed little or no adsorption of apoferritin. The analytical technique of immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography also shows great promise in the purification of apoferritin, ferritin, and other iron-binding proteins.

Adsorption↗