ferritin complex
Sign in to saveFerritin is a universal intracellular and extracellular protein that stores iron and releases it in a controlled fashion. The protein is produced by almost all living organisms, including archaea, bacteria, algae, higher plants, and animals. It is the primary intracellular iron-storage protein in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, keeping iron in a soluble and non-toxic form. In humans, it acts as a buffer against iron deficiency and iron overload.
Key facts
- Protein family.Symbol
- Ferritin
- Protein family.Name
- Ferritin
- Protein family.image
- Ferritin.png
- Protein family.caption
- Structure of the murine ferritin complex
- Protein family.Pfam
- PF00210
- Protein family.Pfam_clan
- CL0044
- Protein family.InterPro
- IPR008331
- Protein family.SCOP
- 1fha
- Protein.Name
- ferritin mitochondrial
- Protein.HGNCid
- 17345
- Protein.Symbol
- FTMT
- Protein.EntrezGene
- 94033
- Protein.OMIM
- 608847
- Protein.RefSeq
- NM_177478
- Protein.UniProt
- Q8N4E7
- Protein.Chromosome
- 5
- Protein.Arm
- q
- Protein.Band
- 23.1
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
20 sectionsContents
- Gene
- Protein structure
- Function
- Iron storage
- Ferroxidase activity
- Immune response
- Stress response
- Mitochondria
- Yolk
- Tissue distribution
- Diagnostic uses
- Normal ranges
- Deficiency
- Excess
- In chronic liver diseases
- Discovery
- Applications
- See also
- References
- External links
Ferritin is a universal intracellular and extracellular protein that stores iron and releases it in a controlled fashion. The protein is produced by almost all living organisms, including archaea, bacteria, algae, higher plants, and animals. It is the primary intracellular iron-storage protein in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, keeping iron in a soluble and non-toxic form. In humans, it acts as a buffer against iron deficiency and iron overload.
Ferritin is found in most tissues as a cytosolic protein, but small amounts are secreted into the serum where it functions as an iron carrier. Plasma ferritin is also an indirect marker of the total amount of iron stored in the body; hence, serum ferritin is used as a diagnostic test for iron-deficiency anemia and iron overload. Aggregated ferritin transforms into a water-insoluble, crystalline and amorphous form of storage iron called hemosiderin.