• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.248-250
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• 1998

In this study, transferrin which is an iron-carrying glycoprotein in plasma was evaluted for its iron binding capacities(TIBC), iron solubilizing abilities, and enhancing effect of biological availbability of iron. Results of TIBC showed that 1 mg of transferrin could blind 1.28$\mu\textrm{g}$ of iron indicating that one molecule of transferrin can bind about 2 molecules of iron. Also, solubility of iorn (7.5$\mu\textrm{g}$ Fe/ml) was significantly incresed to 96.0% with addition of transferrin (5mg/ml) .When FeCl3(80$\mu\textrm{g}$ Fe/ml) was injected to iron-deficient rats by intestinal segment in situ technique, 18.4% of injected iron was absorbed wherease 48.49 and 48.76% of injected iron was absorbed with addition of 10 and 20 mg transferrin/ml , respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2005

Staphylococcus aureus is known to be capable of utilizing transferrin-bound iron, via both siderophore­and transferrin-binding protein (named IsdA)-mediated iron-acquisition systems. This study was designed in order to determine which iron-acquisition system plays the essential or dominant role with respect to the acquisition of iron from human transfenin, in the growth of S. aureus. Holotransferrin (HT) and partially iron-saturated transferrin (PT), but not apotransferrin (AT), were found to stimulate the growth of S. aureus. S. aureus consumed most of the transferrin-bound iron during the exponential growth phase. Extracellular proteases were not, however, involved in the liberation of iron from transferrin. Transferrin-binding to the washed whole cells via IsdA was not observed during the culture. The expression of IsdA was observed only in the deferrated media with AT, but not in the media supplemented with PT or HT. In contrast, siderophores were definitely produced in the deferrated media with PT and HT, as well as in the media supplemented with AT. The siderophores proved to have the ability to remove iron directly from transferrin, but the washed whole cells expressing IsdA did not. In the bioassay, the growth of S. aureus on transferrin-bound iron was stimulated by the siderophores alone. These results demonstrate that the siderophore-mediated iron-acquisition system plays a dominant and essential role in the uptake of iron from transferrin, whereas the IsdA-mediated iron-acquisition system may play only an ancillary role in the uptake of iron from transferrin.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.87-89
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• 2017

Apo-transferrin is an iron-binding protein that has been reported to have an antimicrobial effect. It is considered a major component of the host defense mechanism as it limits microbial access to iron. This study was performed to investigate whether bovine apo-transferrin would have an inhibitory effect on the growth of S. pseudintermedius, which is one of the most isolated bacteria from dogs, and to compare the antimicrobial efficacy with bovine holo-transferrin. S. pseudintermedius were grown at $37^{\circ}C$ in 96-well culture plates using Muller Hinton broth containing bovine apo-transferrin or bovine holo-transferrin at concentrations ranging from 0.5 or 2.5 to 5.0 mg/ml. The optical densities of the wells were then measured at 570 nm. In this study, the apo-transferrin showed dose-dependent antimicrobial effect against S. pseudintermedius while holo-transferrin did not inhibit the growth of S. pseudintermedius effectively. The results suggest that iron deprivation is an important pathway for inhibiting bacterial growth and bovine apo-transferrin has great antimicrobial effects against S. pseudintermedius.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.8 s.88
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• pp.1046-1052
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• 2007

Transferrin is a molecule carrying iron to store and maintain for iron homeostasis of living organisms. In this study, we have purified transferrin, as an iron-binding protein, from the last larval haemolymph of Papilio xuthus by KBr density gradient ultracentrifugation and gel filtration (superose 6 HR) using fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) and transferrin containing iron was identified by Ferene S staining. The purified haemolymph transferrin was shown to have molecular mass of 78 and 80 kDa and amino acid composition of transferrin was rich in aspartic acid, valine, leucine and glutamic acid. With immuno-diffusion assay, we confirmed the existence of the transferrin in the haemo-lymph and fat body by detection of visible and clear positive reaction. From the quantitative comparison by rocket immuno-electrophoresis process, the amount of transferrin were increased in the haemolymph of 3 days after pupation and the whole 5 days after pupation. Here, with biochemical and immunohistochemical analysis, we speculate the relationship of transferrin between the physical characteristics and distribution during metamorphosis of P. xuthus.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.638-641
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• 2006

Iron is the required microelement supporting life and is the main component of hemoglobin. Thus iron has affinity with exercise capacity. Iron metabolism turbulence induced by exercise is one of causes of hematopoietic hypofunction. Results of the experiment showed that long-term treadmill exercise of progressive loading significantly decreased levels of erythrocyte indexes, serum iron, serum ferritin and significantly increased serum transferrin level. Nutrition supplement could significantly retard the variations, and Exercise +Nutrition group have higher levels of erythrocyte indexes, serum iron, serum ferritin and lower level of serum transferrin than Exercise group. The results indicated that nutrition supplement have function of prevent and cure on iron metabolism turbulence induced by exercise, furthermore significantly enhance hemoglobin level in rats.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.297-304
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• 2009

A complete mRNA sequence of transferrin from the wax moth, Galleria mellonella, was obtained, and compared with those of other species. We previously reported that the sequence was most similar to those of Manduca sexta and Bombyx mori. As in other moths, G. mellonella transferrin had only one iron-binding site at its N-terminal region. Semi-qRT PCR was conducted to investigate tissue-specific distribution and transcriptional regulation of the wax moth transferrin mRNA. Larval muscle and fat body contained larger quantity of mRNA than other tested tissues. In this study, it was observed that iron and cadmium regulated transferrin transcription, and this regulation pattern was tissue specific. Iron up-regulated transferrin mRNA level in fat body, while suppressed it in the Malpighian tubules and silk glands. Cadmium decreased the mRNA level in fat body, muscle, and Malpighian tubules, but significantly increased the mRNA level in silk glands. In addition, the mRNA expression was induced by all tested pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) including LPS, lipoteichoic acid (LTA), glucan, and even chitin.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2003

This study investigated the effects of dietary phyate reduction on the apparent absorption and biochemical parameters of iron status in young Korean women. Fourteen healthy, young women consumed low and high phytate diets for ten days of each experimental period. Duplicate diet samples, a fasting blood sample on day 9, and complete fecal samples for five consecutive days starting from day 5 of each diet period were collected. The iron content of diet and fecal samples were analyzed to calculate apparent absorption. Serum samples were analyzed for iron, ferritin, transferrin receptor and TIBC; transferrin saturation was also calculated. The apparent absorption of iron tended to increase in the low phytate period (32.51%) compared to the high phytate period (17.91%), but the difference was not significant (p=0.06). Serum ferritin decreased and serum transferrin receptor increased significantly during the low phytate diet although the mean values were within the normal range. Serum iron and transferrin saturation did not change significantly. In conclusion, the results indicated that reducing dietary phytate for ten days negatively affected iron nutritional parameters, but it moderately and positively affected apparent iron absorption in young Korean women. Further research on the long-term effects of a low phytate diet with an adequate iron content for vows Korean women is necessary.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.963-969
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• 2005

Many reports have stated that some of the pathogenic bacteria can obtain iron from ferroproteins, such as cytochrome C, ferritin, hemin, hemoglobin, and myoglobin. These reports prompted us to determine if an opportunistic pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans, can utilize ferroproteins to circumvent the iron-regulatory effect of transferrin. The following assays were carried out to measure in vitro growth stimulation by the ferroproteins: as an initial step, C. albicans was cultured in iron-free (pretreated with apotransferrin for 24h) culture medium. Once Candida albicans yeast cell growth reached stasis from iron starvation, individual ferroproteins were added to the culture media. Results showed that hemin, hemoglobin, and myoglobin supported a partial growth recovery. Additional studies with haptoglobin, a serum protein that interacts with the globin moiety of certain ferroproteins, established that C. albicans could obtain iron from the haptoglobin-ferroprotein complexes. These data indicate that the heme part of the ferroproteins is the source of iron. This implies that heme oxygenase, CaHMX1 might be involved in bringing about dissociation of heme-containing protein for iron-acquisition. In addition, anticandidal activity of transferrin takes place not only by the process of iron regulation, but also by direct interaction with the yeast cells.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2015

Purpose: Soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) is a truncated extracellular form of the membrane transferrin receptor produced by proteolysis. Concentrations of serum sTfR are related to iron status and erythropoiesis in the body. We investigated whether serum sTfR levels can aid in diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children. Methods: Ninety-eight patients with IDA were enrolled and were classified according to age at diagnosis. Group 1 comprised 78 children, aged 6-59 months, and group 2 comprised 20 adolescents, aged 12-16 years. Results: In group 1, patients' serum sTfR levels correlated negatively with mean corpuscular volume; hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin, and serum iron levels; and transferrin saturation and positively with total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and red cell distribution width. In group 2, patients' serum sTfR levels did not correlate with ferritin levels and TIBC, but had a significant relationship with other iron indices. Hb and serum sTfR levels had a significant inverse relationship in both groups; however, in group 1, there was no correlation between Hb and serum ferritin levels. In 30 patients of group 1, serum sTfR levels were significantly decreased with an increase in Hb levels after iron supplementation for 1 month. Conclusion: Serum sTfR levels significantly correlated with other diagnostic iron parameters of IDA and inversely correlated with an increase in Hb levels following iron supplementation. Therefore, serum sTfR levels can be a useful marker for the diagnosis and treatment of IDA in children.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.72-77
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• 2017

Inorganic iron is essential for various metabolic processes, including RNA synthesis, electron transport, and oxygen detoxification in microorganisms. Many bacterial pathogens compete for iron acquisition in diverse environmental condition such as host. Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 also requires inorganic iron as a cofactor for growth. When a M9 minimal liquid medium was supplemented with ethylenediamine di-o-hydroxyphenylactic acid (EDDA) which acts as an iron-chelating agent, growth of Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 in the supplemented medium was completely arrested by deficient of useful iron under iron-depleted condition. However, a number of siderophores, which are small, high-affinity iron chelating compounds secreted by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, were produced for utilization of restricted iron under iron-depleted condition. A M9 minimal liquid medium complemented with human transferrin (hTf)-iron complex turned completely off production of siderophores, but growth of Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 maintained level similar to compare one complemented with iron (III) chloride (FeCl3). This means that human transferrin (hTf)-bound iron can utilize via directly interaction with Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 without productions of siderophores. Through construction and analysis of negative mutant for utilization of human transferrin (hTf)-bound iron, we confirm that the bacterium can directly use human transferrin (hTf)-bound iron without extracellularly intermediated carriers such as siderophores.