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Reference.org
Mitoferrin-1
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<p>Mitoferrin-1 (Mfrn1) is a 38 kDa <a href="/facts/Protein/Jxmagu3E">protein</a> that is encoded by the <i>SLC25A37</i> <a href="/facts/Gene/e1swwPY6">gene</a> in humans. It is a member of the <a href="/facts/Mitochondrial_carrier/FI8nGR8s">Mitochondrial carrier</a> (MC) Superfamily, however, its metal cargo makes it distinct from other members of this family. Mfrn1 plays a key role in mitochondrial iron homeostasis as an iron transporter, importing ferrous iron from the intermembrane space of the mitochondria to the mitochondrial matrix for the biosynthesis of heme groups and Fe-S clusters. This process is tightly regulated, given the redox potential of Mitoferrin's iron cargo. Mfrn1 is paralogous to Mitoferrin-2 (Mfrn2), a 39 kDa protein encoded by the <i>SLC25A28</i> gene in humans. Mfrn1 is highly expressed in differentiating erythroid cells and in other tissues at low levels, while Mfrn2 is expressed ubiquitously in non-erythroid tissues. </p>