Human isoferritins: organ specific iron and apoferritin distribution

Ferritins from human liver, spleen, heart, pancreas and kidney were compared by electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels, by immunodiffusion against antisera to homologous and heterologous ferritin, and in some cases by their cyanogen bromide peptides. All ferritins appeared to consist of a single species on gel electrophoresis with the exception of heart ferritin which separated into two major components. Small differences in electrophoretic mobility were found in all tissue ferritins. By contrast, all tissue ferritins were found to consist of multiple forms when analysed by gel electrofocusing. At least five isoferritins were found in most tissues, several of which were common to most tissues. At least two were common to all tissues. Those ferritins which were most easily distinguishable electrophoretically, e.g. spleen and heart ferritin, showed the greatest differences on gel electrofocusing. The ferritin profile was characteristic of each organ and was reproducible both within individuals and between individual tissues. There were striking differences in the iron content of the various isoferritins within a tissue. Further, the iron content of isoferritins common to more than one tissue varied with the tissue of origin. Some isoferritins in several organs and all of the isoferritins in pancreas appeared to contain little, if any, iron. All five tissue ferritins contained antigenic determinants in common with liver ferritin. However, an additional antigenic determinant was found in liver ferritin which was not detectable in the ferritins from the other organs.