Iron metabolism

The understanding of iron metabolism at the molecular level has been enormo usly expanded in recent years by new findings about the functioning of tran sferrin, the transferrin receptor and ferritin. Other recent developments i nclude the discovery of the hemochromatosis gene HFE, identification of pre viously unknown proteins involved in iron transport, divalent metal transpo rter 1 and stimulator of Fe transport, and expanded insights into the regul ation and expression of proteins involved in iron metabolism Interactions a mong principal participants in iron transport have been uncovered, although the complexity of such interactions is still incompletely understood. Corr elated efforts involving techniques and concepts of crystallography, spectr oscopy and molecular biology applied to cellular processes have been, and s hould continue to be, particularly revealing.