Grant: Project Grant

Life on earth without iron is nearly impossible. Iron is important for many functions in our body, and probably best known for its role in transporting oxygen, allowing us to breathe. Inhaled oxygen is bound by iron, which sits at the centre of a special molecule called heme. The heme molecule itself is docked to a larger structure called hemoglobin, and together, they deliver oxygen to where it is needed via the bloodstream. These heme groups are also important for other processes in our cells, including the removal of harmful substances and the production of steroid hormones, like the famous testosterone. The King-Jones lab uses the fruit fly as a model to study undiscovered aspects of iron biology. When they studied steroid hormone-producing cells, they discovered that these cells have very high levels of iron and heme. Importantly, King-Jones and colleagues learned that they can take advantage of this system to learn new things about how humans regulate their iron "balance sheet". Since both too much and too little iron can cause severe diseases in humans, it is essential that we learn more about how iron handled in our bodies, and how this is regulated. Using a range of genetic tricks, King-Jones and colleagues have recently discovered more than 20 genes with unexpected roles in regulating and balancing appropriate iron levels. Three of these genes shed new light on how the so-called "Iron Regulatory Protein 1" (IRP1) works. Researchers have studied IRP1 for more than 30 years, and know that IRP1 is very important for our health. The new findings in the King-Jones lab show that our current ideas about how IRP1 controls proper iron balance in cells are remarkably incomplete. The study of these new, unexpected aspects of iron regulation helps us to understand better diseases that are caused by too much or too little iron.