MOBILIZATION OF IRON FROM FERRITIN BY CHELATING AGENTS

The mobilization of iron from ferritin at rates and in quantities of physiological significance can be accomplished using specific low molecular weight chelating agents. Removal of the iron does not involve reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ and can be carried out under mild conditions of temperature and neutral pH. Iron is more rapidly released from noncrystalline ferritin in which the ferric hydroxide micelle is only partially surrounded with protein subunits. Noncrystallizable ferritin is in equilibrium with ferritin and may play an important intermediate role in the in vivo mobilization of iron by chelates. These findings confirm and extend the model proposed in the preceding paper (Pape, L., Multani, J. S., Stitt, C. F., and Saltman, P. (1968), Biochemistry 7, 606) for the synthesis of ferritin and the mobilization of its iron involving chelation reactions in which redox systems are not required. © 1968, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.