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Ctr1 and its role in body copper homeostasis
1Centre for Nutrition and Food Safety, School of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK. p.sharp@surrey.ac.uk
The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology
|January 18, 2003
Summary
Human copper transporter 1 (hCtr1) is crucial for mammalian development and brain copper uptake. While its role in other tissues is unclear, hCtr1 facilitates copper transport.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Copper transporters, such as the Cu transporter (Ctr) family, are vital for copper uptake in various organisms.
- Human Ctr1 (hCtr1) is a proposed copper transporter in tissues like the intestine.
- hCtr1 is a 190 amino acid protein with three transmembrane domains, forming a homo-trimer in the plasma membrane.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of human Ctr1 (hCtr1) in copper transport.
- To elucidate the role of hCtr1 in mammalian development and tissue-specific copper uptake.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing Ctr1-transfected cell lines to assess copper uptake kinetics.
- Examining Ctr1 knockout mice to evaluate developmental and tissue-specific copper transport roles.
Main Results:
- Ctr1-transfected cells showed saturable, pH-dependent Cu(I) uptake, confirming its transport function.
- Ctr1 knockout mice exhibited embryonic lethality in homozygous mutants.
- Heterozygous Ctr1 knockout mice displayed normal development but significantly reduced brain copper content.
Conclusions:
- hCtr1 is essential for mammalian embryonic development.
- hCtr1 plays a critical role in copper uptake in the brain.
- The function of hCtr1 in other tissues requires further investigation.