In:
eLife, eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd, Vol. 6 ( 2017-05-29)
Abstract:
Heme is an iron-containing compound that is important for all living things, from bacteria to humans. Our red blood cells use heme to carry oxygen and deliver it throughout the body. The amount of heme that is produced must be tightly regulated. Too little or too much heme in a person’s red blood cells can lead to blood-related diseases such as anemia and porphyria. Yet, while scientists knew the enzymes needed to make heme, they did not know how these enzymes were controlled. Now, Chung et al . show that an important signaling molecule called erythropoietin controls how much heme is produced when red blood cells are made. The experiments used a combination of red blood cells from humans and mice as well as zebrafish, which are useful model organisms because their blood develops in a similar way to humans. When Chung et al . inhibited components of erythropoietin signaling, heme production was blocked too and the red blood cells could not work properly. These new findings pave the way to look at human patients with blood-related disorders to determine if they have defects in the erythropoietin signaling cascade. In the future, this avenue of research might lead to better treatments for a variety of blood diseases in humans.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2050-084X
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.001
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.002
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.003
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.004
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.005
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.006
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.007
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.008
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.009
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.010
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.011
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.012
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.013
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.014
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.015
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24767.016
Language:
English
Publisher:
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Publication Date:
2017
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2687154-3