Journal of Clinical & Medical Genomics

The Crosstalk between Micro RNA and Iron Homeostasis

Abstract

Zihui Xu, Zhao Shi and Yujing Li

Iron is a micronutrient essential for fundamental cellular processes. Iron deficiency has been proven to be the leading course of some blood diseases. Though essential, iron overload may contribute to the generation of free radicals capable for cell damaging. As such, the maintenance and control of iron homeostasis is critical to prevent either iron deficiency or iron overload toxicity. Iron homeostasis is largely coordinated by a family of Iron Regulatory Proteins (IRP) that functions to control iron uptake, storage, transport, and utilization. More recently, iron metabolism has also been implicated in the modulation of microRNA (miRNA), a class of small non-coding RNA recognized as the major regulation mechanism for gene expression at post-transcriptional level. Vice versa, miRNAs have been demonstrated to regulate the expression of genes associated with iron acquisition (transferrin receptor and divalent metal transporter), iron export (ferroportin), iron storage (ferritin), iron utilization (ISCU), and coordination of systemic iron homeostasis (HFE and hemojevelin), bridging the crosstalk between miRNAs regulation and iron homeostasis. Herein we briefly summarize recent advances in the inter-regulation between miRNAs and maintenance of iron homeostasis. It will enhance our understanding of mechanisms by which cells respond to changes in iron demand and/or iron availability to control cellular iron homeostasis, and how miRNAs regulate iron homeostasis.