Iron Responsive Elements
Iron Responsive Elements - Related Videos
06:52
Experimental Column Setup for Studying Anaerobic Biogeochemical Interactions Between Iron (Oxy)Hydroxides, Trace Elements, and Bacteria
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Cited by 3 •
2017
Fate and speciation of arsenic and mercury in aquifers are closely related to physio-chemical conditions and microbial activity. Here, we present an original experimental column setup that mimics an aquifer and enables a better understanding of trace element biogeochemistry in anoxic conditions. Two examples are presented, combining geochemical and microbiological approaches.
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Hydroponics: A Versatile System to Study Nutrient Allocation and Plant Responses to Nutrient Availability and Exposure to Toxic Elements
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Cited by 102 •
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Here, we present an easy-to-follow protocol to establish a successful hydroponic system for plant nutrition studies. This protocol has been extensively tested in Arabidopsis and can easily be adapted to other plant species to study specific nutritional requirements or the effect of non-essential elements on plant growth and development.
02:54
Classification of Elements and Compounds
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2020
Pure substances consist of only one type of matter. A pure substance can be an element or a compound. An element consists of only one type of atom, while a compound consists of two or more types of atoms held together by a chemical bond. Elements are classified as atomic or molecular based on the nature of their basic units. Compounds are pure substances composed of two or more elements in fixed, definite proportions. Compounds are classified as ionic or molecular (covalent) based on the bonds...
08:45
Quantitating Iron Transport Across the Mouse Placenta In Vivo Using Nonradioactive Iron Isotopes
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Cited by 3 •
2022
This article demonstrates how to prepare and administer transferrin-bound nonradioactive isotopic iron for studies of iron transport in mouse pregnancy. The approach for quantifying isotopic iron in fetoplacental compartments is also described.
02:31
Elements: Chemical Symbols and Isotopes
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2020
A chemical symbol is an abbreviation used to indicate an element or an atom of an element. For example, the symbol for mercury is Hg. The same symbol is used to indicate one atom of mercury (microscopic domain) or to label a container of many atoms of the element mercury (macroscopic domain). Some symbols are derived from the common English name of the element; others are abbreviations of the name in another language — Latin, Greek or German. For example, the symbol for aluminum (common name)...
FAQs
The outcome depends on the transcript being regulated. In one context, IRP binding represses ferritin mRNA translation, limiting production of an iron-storage protein. In another, binding stabilizes transferrin receptor mRNA, supporting the machinery required for iron uptake. These contrasting responses allow cells to adjust storage and acquisition rather than applying one uniform response.
Iron scarcity changes IRP activity so that IRPs bind their target IREs and impose the appropriate regulatory effects. When iron becomes more available, altered IRP activity releases those effects. This switch coordinates reduced or increased storage and uptake signals, helping cellular gene expression respond dynamically instead of remaining fixed under changing iron conditions.
Iron is essential for cellular function but can also contribute to oxidative stress when its balance is disrupted. IREs and IRPs connect iron availability with storage and uptake decisions, helping cells manage that tension. Consequently, this regulatory system provides a way to study how altered iron metabolism may relate to oxidative stress and disease mechanisms.
Studying both components reveals how post-transcriptional gene regulation links an intracellular condition, iron availability, to coordinated changes in multiple iron-related transcripts. Examining ferritin and transferrin receptor regulation together is especially informative because their responses represent storage and uptake. This combined view helps explain how cells maintain iron homeostasis rather than regulating each process independently.
Ferritin translation and transferrin receptor mRNA stability provide complementary readouts of the regulatory system. A change affecting ferritin reflects altered control of iron storage, whereas a change affecting transferrin receptor mRNA reflects altered control of iron uptake. Considering both outcomes helps researchers determine whether cellular regulation is shifting toward conserving, storing, or obtaining iron.
IRE-mediated control offers a framework for investigating disorders in which iron metabolism or oxidative stress is disturbed. Researchers can use the relationship among IRP activity, ferritin regulation, and transferrin receptor mRNA stability to examine how disrupted post-transcriptional control might affect cellular iron balance. The same framework also connects molecular observations with broader biology of iron homeostasis.