Regulation of cellular zinc ions and their signaling functions

TY - CHAP

T1 - Regulation of cellular zinc ions and their signaling functions

AU - Maret, Wolfgang

PY - 2020/1/1

Y1 - 2020/1/1

N2 - Zinc signaling adds a similarly complex regulatory system to calcium signaling and extends signaling with metal ions to lower concentrations. Zinc ions have intracellular and extracellular regulatory functions in addition to their catalytic and structural functions in several thousand human proteins. Cellular zinc metabolism and Zn2+ signaling are under exquisite homeostatic control. In order to ascertain specificity in functions without interference by other metal ions, zinc ions are controlled in a defined range of concentrations and re-distributed subcellularly. Several dozen proteins, zinc transporters of two major families, metallothioneins, and proteins that sense zinc ion concentrations participate in this control. Total cellular zinc concentrations are relatively high. They are buffered in such a way that “free” zinc ion concentrations are very low but not negligible. Key features of cellular zinc biology are subcellular storage, release, and, in some cells, exocytosis of zinc ions for a purpose. The chemical nature of zinc ion signals is not known because the biological ligands of zinc when not bound to proteins have not been identified. How zinc ion signals are generated, shaped, and transduced and how effector proteins decode the signal involves remarkable mechanisms of coordination dynamics in proteins. Affecting the proteins that control cellular zinc homeostasis by nutritional deficiencies, xenobiotics, and mutations in their genes interferes with healthy growth and development, is a cause of disease, and influences the course of virtually any disease.

AB - Zinc signaling adds a similarly complex regulatory system to calcium signaling and extends signaling with metal ions to lower concentrations. Zinc ions have intracellular and extracellular regulatory functions in addition to their catalytic and structural functions in several thousand human proteins. Cellular zinc metabolism and Zn2+ signaling are under exquisite homeostatic control. In order to ascertain specificity in functions without interference by other metal ions, zinc ions are controlled in a defined range of concentrations and re-distributed subcellularly. Several dozen proteins, zinc transporters of two major families, metallothioneins, and proteins that sense zinc ion concentrations participate in this control. Total cellular zinc concentrations are relatively high. They are buffered in such a way that “free” zinc ion concentrations are very low but not negligible. Key features of cellular zinc biology are subcellular storage, release, and, in some cells, exocytosis of zinc ions for a purpose. The chemical nature of zinc ion signals is not known because the biological ligands of zinc when not bound to proteins have not been identified. How zinc ion signals are generated, shaped, and transduced and how effector proteins decode the signal involves remarkable mechanisms of coordination dynamics in proteins. Affecting the proteins that control cellular zinc homeostasis by nutritional deficiencies, xenobiotics, and mutations in their genes interferes with healthy growth and development, is a cause of disease, and influences the course of virtually any disease.

KW - Cellular zinc homeostasis

KW - Metallothioneins

KW - Zinc

KW - Zinc transporters

KW - Zn signaling

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85085466204&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/978-981-15-0557-7_2

DO - 10.1007/978-981-15-0557-7_2

M3 - Chapter

AN - SCOPUS:85085466204

SN - 9789811505560

SP - 5

EP - 22

BT - Zinc Signaling

PB - Springer Singapore

ER -