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The Pivotal Role of Astrocytes in the Metabolism of Iron in the Brain

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Abstract

Iron is essential for the normal functioning of cells but since it is also capable of generating toxic reactive oxygen species, the metabolism of iron is tightly regulated. The present article advances the view that astrocytes are largely responsible for distributing iron in the brain. Capillary endothelial cells are separated from the neuropil by the endfeet of astrocytes, so astrocytes are ideally positioned to regulate the transport of iron to other brain cells and to protect them if iron breaches the blood-brain barrier. Astrocytes do not appear to have a high metabolic requirement for iron yet they possess transporters for transferrin, haemin and non-transferrin-bound iron. They store iron efficiently in ferritin and can export iron by a mechanism that involves ferroportin and ceruloplasmin. Since astrocytes are a common site of abnormal iron accumulation in ageing and neurodegenerative disorders, they may represent a new therapeutic target for the treatment of iron-mediated oxidative stress.

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Acknowledgements

RD was supported by a NeuroSciences Victoria Senior Research Fellowship. GMB is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Peter Doherty Fellowship (ID:284393) and a Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Foundation Establishment Grant. SRR and RD are supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant (ID: 334129).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Biomolecular Interactions Bremen, University of Bremen, P.O. Box 33 04 40, 28334, Bremen, Germany

    Ralf Dringen & Maico Koeppe

  2. School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, 3800, Australia

    Ralf Dringen, Glenda M. Bishop, Theresa N. Dang & Stephen R. Robinson

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  1. Ralf Dringen
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  2. Glenda M. Bishop
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  3. Maico Koeppe
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Correspondence to Ralf Dringen.

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Dringen, R., Bishop, G.M., Koeppe, M. et al. The Pivotal Role of Astrocytes in the Metabolism of Iron in the Brain. Neurochem Res 32, 1884–1890 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-007-9375-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-007-9375-0

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