Ferroportin Assay Service

In vertebrates, the stability of iron concentration in plasma and extracellular fluid, and the total body iron content are maintained by the interaction of the iron-regulatory peptide hormone hepcidin with its receptor and cellular iron exporter ferroportin. Protheragen provides ferroportin and fhepcidin assays to assist our clients with iron transport-related pathology studies.

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Ferroportin Interactions with Hepcidin

Ferroportin, Fpn, is a member of the solute carrier family, systemically named SLC40A1. Iron transporter protein is a transmembrane protein that transports iron from the inside to the outside of the cell, and Fpn is the only known protein that performs this function. After dietary iron is absorbed by small intestinal cells, Fpn transports iron out of these cells and into the blood. fpn is regulated by hepcidin, a hormone produced by the liver. hepcidin binds to Fpn and limits its iron efflux activity, thereby reducing iron transport to the plasma. Thus, the interaction between Fpn and hepcidin controls systemic iron homeostasis.

A current model of hepcidin interaction with ferroportin ^[2].

Regulation of Ferroportin by Intracellular Signals

In addition to systemic control of ferroportin by circulating hepcidin, ferroportin is also regulated by intracellular conditions. These local regulatory mechanisms may decrease toxicity from excessive cellular iron, preserve cellular iron under conditions of systemic iron deficiency, or amplify the effect of systemic hepcidin changes.

• IRE-IRP System
  The IRE-IRP system acts in most cells to coordinate ferroportin translation with intracellular iron levels. Under iron deficiency conditions, the binding of IRP1/2 to the 5' IRE inhibits iron transporter translation, thereby limiting iron export and preserving cellular iron.
• HIF System
  Low hepcidin levels during iron deficiency and anemia allow continuous iron export from enterocytes, leading to activation of the enterocyte HIF system (especially HIF2α) and further increasing ferroportin transcription.
• MicroRNAs Such as miR-485-3p, miR-20a and miR-20b
  There is evidence that microRNAs such as miR-485-3p, miR-20a and miR-20b, can posttranscriptionally downregulate ferroportin but the physiological role of this mechanism is uncertain.

Our Services

Hepcidin and Ferroportin are two important proteins that regulate cellular iron output. We quantified Hepcidin and Ferroportin as well as other iron output related proteins (Hematocrit, Ferritin 1, Hematocrit, TMPRSS6, Neopterin, BMP Pathway Protein, etc.) by ELISA on samples provided by our customers to assess the iron output capacity of this sample.

We also offer cellular iron export assay for various model organisms as well as model microorganismsin order to help our clients assess the iron export capacity of different model organisms.

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Our Advantages

Protheragen has a professional team and advanced equipment, and the whole process is operated by experienced technicians to provide our customers with iron metabolism related cellular assay services. If you have any needs, please contact us.