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Role of iron and ferritin in TNFα‐induced apoptosis in HeLa cells
Author(s) -
Cozzi Anna,
Levi Sonia,
Corsi Barbara,
Santambrogio Paolo,
Campanella Alessandro,
Gerardi Gianmario,
Arosio Paolo
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(03)00114-5
Subject(s) - hela , ferritin , apoptosis , tumor necrosis factor alpha , chemistry , cancer research , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , biology , endocrinology , cell
We found that tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)‐induced apoptosis in HeLa cells was accompanied by a ∼2‐fold increase in H‐ and L‐ferritin and a decrease in transferrin receptor, two indices of increased iron availability. Iron supplementation and overexpression of H‐ferritin or its mutant with an inactivated ferroxidase center reduced by about ∼50% the number of apoptotic cells after TNFα‐treatment, while overexpression of L‐ferritin was ineffective. The data indicate that H‐ferritin has an anti‐apoptotic activity unrelated to its ferroxidase activity and to its capacity to modify cellular iron metabolism.