L02 – Iron Metabolism and Heme Biosynthesis Flashcards
Why is iron used for oxygen transport?
abundant metal with multiple oxidation states
useful as a relay for transferring electrons from one molecule to another
What are the oxidation states in which iron exist in the body? (intra and extracellular)
Intracellular: Fe2+, bound to ferritin
Extracellular = Fe3+, diferric transferrin mainly, minority with albumin and low molecular weight compound
How is iron incorporated into the RBC life cycle? How is it recycled?
Erthyroid cells (ie reticulocyte) take up Fe for heme synthesis
> > erythroid cells mature
> > RBC life cycle ends
> > mononuclear phagocytes in spleen, bone marrow and liver degrade senescent RBC
> > Release Fe to blood again
Iron can be excreted by feces. True or False.
False
No mechanism for excreting Fe, Fe can only be lost uncontrollably
List ways to lose iron from body?
Sweating
Blood loss, menses
Exfoliation of epithelial cells from body
Sequence of the Fe homeostasis cycle?
Loss of Fe uncontrollably
> > Depletion of total Fe pool (i.e. by blood lost or growth/ development causing increased demand)
> > Stimulate dietary uptake of Fe (uptake is controllable)
> > Repletion of total Fe pool
Major and minor modes of Fe transport in blood? (include the mechanisms)
- Major- high affinity:
Apotransferrin + Fe3+ = monoferic transferrin + Fe3+ = Diferric transferrin - Minor - low affinity Non-transferrin bound iron (NTBI):
- Serum albumin + Fe3+ = iron-bound serum albumin
- Low molecular weight compounds (non- protein)
3 mechanisms to prevent iron overload in blood?
- Large buffer/reserve of free Transferritin – high affinity for Fe
- Non-protein compounds provide further Fe-binding capacity
- Cells take up excess Fe in blood
> > > Very low concentration of free Fe in plasma
Hb structure consists of?
- Globin polypeptides (α chain, β chain)
- Porphyrin structure
- Iron (Fe)
Structure of heme?
Fe forms complex with porphyrin:
- Chelating design holds Fe in centre
- Orbitals of Fe partially engaged
> > restricts/stabilizes reactivity of Fe2+ and prevents Fe from reacting with O2
Explain why free heme is toxic?
Free heme turns organic hydroperoxides, unsaturated fatty acids, alcoholic compounds into free radicals, superoxide anion
> > oxidative damage and chemical alterations
How is the toxicity of free heme reduced?
Interacts with the amino acid residues of globin chains
Formation of heme intracellularly?
ALAS turns Glycine + succinyl CoA (from TCA cycle) into ALA at inner mitochondrial membrane
Exported to cytosol for intermediate reactions to form Coproporphyrinogen III
Uptake back into mitochondria and reaction with CPO, PPO, FC enzymes in the intermembrane space
> > form heme at matrix of mitochondria
Function of ALAS in heme synthesis?
ALA synthase:
Enzyme for the first step of condensing Glycine with Succinyl CoA to make ALA
What endogenous compound stimulates ALA transcription?
Erythropoietin (EPO): made by kidney, liver
> > activate Erythroblast-specific transcription factors
> > Stimulate ALAS- 2 gene transcription to ALAS- 2 mRNA