Zinc transport in mammalian cells.
Reyes, Juan G.
Instituto de Quimica, Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Depto
Fisiologia y Biofisica, Fac. Medicina, Universidad de Chile
APStracts 2:0207C, 1995.
The importance of zinc in cell physiology is related mainly to its
intracellular involvment in enzyme catalysis, protein structure,
protein-protein interactions, and protein-oligonucleotide
interactions. The mechanisms by which Zn2+ enters mammalian cells
have been studied in a variety of cell systems. A review of this
literature indicates that in all cells, Zn2+ interacts with
extracellular binding sites, that are likely to include binding sites
involved in the subsequent translocation of this ion to the cell
interior. Inside the cell, Zn2+ binds to cytosolic and organelle
binding sites or is taken up by intracellular organelles. In spite of
these general conclusions, the mechanisms of the different transport
and binding steps are, for most cell types, only partially solved.
This review critically discuss the literature on mammalian Zn2+
transport and outline some critical points in future research of the
mechanisms of transport for this ion.
Received 30 January 1995; accepted in final form 12 May 1995.
APS Manuscript Number C272-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Cell Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 26 May 1995.