Carcino-Foetal Human Liver Ferritins

FERRITIN is an iron-storage protein found in the cytoplasm of a wide variety of plant and animal cells 1,2 . Structurally, the molecule comprises a hollow protein shell, apoferritin, composed of 20 or 24 subunits, within which variable amounts of inorganic iron may be sequestered. These subunits may...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 1973-03, Vol.242 (5394), p.194-196
Main Authors: ALPERT, E, COSTON, R. L, DRYSDALE, J. W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
Chromatography, Gel
Ferritins - analysis
Fetus - analysis
Gestational Age
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Isoelectric Focusing
letter
Liver - analysis
Liver Neoplasms
Methods
multidisciplinary
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:FERRITIN is an iron-storage protein found in the cytoplasm of a wide variety of plant and animal cells 1,2 . Structurally, the molecule comprises a hollow protein shell, apoferritin, composed of 20 or 24 subunits, within which variable amounts of inorganic iron may be sequestered. These subunits may not be chemically identical since multiple molecular forms of differing charge, isoferritins, have been found in several organs by electrophoresis 3,4 or electrofocusing 5,6 . Although the structural relationship of the isoferritins is unclear, these findings raise the possibility that the charge differences may represent primary structures coded by different genes. In addition to the isoferritins found in normal cells, an “abnormal” ferritin has also been found in malignant cell lines 7 and in livers of tumour bearing animals 8,9 . As part of our investigations into tumour specific and embryonic antigens, we have examined the isoferritin profile in human hepatoma and compared it to that found in normal adult and foetal liver. Here we supply evidence for a unique isoferritin species in human hepatoma that is not present in normal adult liver. This tumour-specific isoferritin may correspond to a similar isoferritin found in foetal liver in early gestation.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/242194a0