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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Characterizing Mammalian Zinc Transporters Using an In Vitro Zinc Transport Assay
Published on: June 2, 2023
From Zinc to Manganese: Expanding the Functional Landscape of ZIP Family Metal Transporters
Shannon M McCabe1, Dean T Favre1, Ningning Zhao1
1School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
Abstract:
Bacteria, plants, and animals all express a conserved group of proteins known as the ZIP family, which mediate the transport of divalent cations, including zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn). These proteins belong to a larger group of metal transporters named after the zinc-regulated transporter (Zrt) and iron-regulated transporter (Irt) proteins. In humans, the ZIP family comprises 14 members encoded by the SLC39A1-SLC39A14 genes. The roles of ZIP proteins in Zn metabolism have been extensively characterized, particularly in regulating cellular Zn uptake and distribution. First, this review introduces the ZIP family and the established functions of these transporters in Zn homeostasis, with a focus on cellular Zn transport, to provide a foundation for understanding the associated broader metal transport activities. We then place particular emphasis on those ZIP proteins with emerging roles in Mn homeostasis, an area that remains less well understood.
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