The ZIP family of metal transporters

Abstract

Members of the ZIP gene family, a novel metal transporter family first identified in plants, are capable of transporting a variety of cations, including cadmium, iron, manganese and zinc. Information on where in the plant each of the ZIP transporters functions and how each is controlled in response to nutrient availability may allow the manipulation of plant mineral status with an eye to (1) creating food crops with enhanced mineral content, and (2) developing crops that bioaccumulate or exclude toxic metals.

Novel zinc-responsive post-transcriptional mechanisms reciprocally regulate expression of the mouse Slc39a4 and Slc39a5 zinc transporters (Zip4 and Zip5)

“…Two superfamilies of mammalian zinc transporters have been identified (Guerinot, 2000;Taylor and Nicholson, 2003;Palmiter and Huang, 2004). Solute carrier 30A (Slc30a) family members, named ZnTs, function in zinc efflux and compartmentalization (Palmiter and Huang, 2004), whereas the Slc39a family members, named ZIPs, function in the uptake of zinc and other metals into the cytoplasm.…”

“…Solute carrier 30A (Slc30a) family members, named ZnTs, function in zinc efflux and compartmentalization (Palmiter and Huang, 2004), whereas the Slc39a family members, named ZIPs, function in the uptake of zinc and other metals into the cytoplasm. In mice and humans, 14 members of the ZIP family have been identified (Guerinot, 2000;Taylor and Nicholson, 2003). These proteins have eight predicted transmembrane domains and the ZIP superfamily can be subdivided into four subfamilies based on structural homology (Taylor and Nicholson, 2003).…”

Mutation spectrum of humanSLC39A4in a panel of patients with acrodermatitis enteropathica

“…A novel human gene, SLC39A4 (or ZIP4; MIM# 607059), lying telomeric to a susceptibility locus determined by homozygosity mapping (Wang et al, 2001), was found mutated in several distinct families with AE coming either from Europe, North Africa, or Middle East (Küry et al, 2002;Wang et al, 2002). This gene encodes a zinc transporter protein belonging to the Zinc/Iron-regulated-transporter-like-protein (ZIP) family (Guerinot, 2000), and is quite specifically expressed in duodenum and jejunum (Küry et al, 2002;Wang et al, 2002). Our first mutational screening of this gene in eight AE families -including 15 patients and 21 unaffected relatives-pointed to six different deleterious mutations (Küry et al, 2002), which biological significance was corroborated by eight other mutations described by Wang and collaborators (Wang et al, 2002).…”

Copper Transport Across Pea Thylakoid Membranes

“…The NRAMP and ZIP/IRT families are thought to encode primarily iron and zinc transporters (Guerinot, 2000;Curie and Briat, 2003;Hell and Stephan, 2003), but the wide potential substrate range of family members indicates that they might also play a role in copper transport. Two Arabidopsis NRAMP genes complement both iron and manganese uptake mutants in yeast (Curie et al, 2000;Guerinot, 2000;Thomine et al, 2000), and expression of a mammalian NRAMP gene in frog oocytes confers iron, copper, zinc, cadmium, manganese, and cobalt transport equally (Gunshin et al, 1997).…”

“…Two Arabidopsis NRAMP genes complement both iron and manganese uptake mutants in yeast (Curie et al, 2000;Guerinot, 2000;Thomine et al, 2000), and expression of a mammalian NRAMP gene in frog oocytes confers iron, copper, zinc, cadmium, manganese, and cobalt transport equally (Gunshin et al, 1997). Similarly, expression in yeast of several ZIP/IRT genes rescues not only iron and zinc uptake mutants but also manganese uptake mutants, and the uptake can be inhibited by cadmium and copper, indicating these metals might also be transport substrates (Grotz et al, 1998;Korshunova et al, 1999;Ramesh et al, 2003).…”