New molecular components of high and low affinity iron import systems in Drosophila

Sattar Soltani, Minyi Yan, Qingxuan Yu, Areeg Abd Elhafiz, Erika Pfriem, Samuel M. Webb, Thomas Kroll, Jahir Marceliano Bahena Lopez, Fanis Missirlis and Kirst King-Jones ()
Additional contact information
Sattar Soltani: University of Alberta
Minyi Yan: University of Alberta
Qingxuan Yu: University of Alberta
Areeg Abd Elhafiz: University of Alberta
Erika Pfriem: University of Alberta
Samuel M. Webb: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Thomas Kroll: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Jahir Marceliano Bahena Lopez: Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav)
Fanis Missirlis: Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav)
Kirst King-Jones: University of Alberta

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-22

Abstract: Abstract The high abundance and molecular versatility of iron have led to its universal presence in biological systems, yet its absorption is exceptionally challenging. Animals and yeasts use divalent metal transporters to import iron, but yeasts also employ the multicopper oxidase Fet3p for high-affinity iron uptake when iron-starved. Using long-term iron depletion in Drosophila, we identified four components involved in iron absorption: Multicopper oxidase-4 (Mco4), a Fet3p ortholog, is essential for surviving iron starvation, whereas the cytochrome b561 enzymes Fire (Ferric Iron Reductase) and Fire-like, as well as cytochrome b5 protein Firewood, are required for iron absorption under normal conditions. This study reports the presence of a high-affinity iron uptake system in an animal, a cytochrome b5 electron donor for ferric iron reduction, and intestinal ferric reductases, and provides a valuable resource for further exploration of genes involved in iron homeostasis, transport, and absorption.

Date: 2025
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60758-6 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-60758-6

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60758-6

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().