Summary
• Most iron is delivered to cells bound to the plasma protein transferrin.
• Mitochondria are a major sink for cellular iron due to their key role on heme and Fe-S cluster synthesis.
• Iron not required immediately for biochemical processes is stored within ferritin.
• Iron is exported from cells via the plasma membrane transporter ferroportin.
• Cellular iron uptake and storage are regulated via the IRE/IRP system at the post-transcriptional level.
• Hepcidin has emerged as a central regulator of body iron homeostasis.