Haem oxygenase-1 prevents cell death by regulating cellular iron

Nat Cell Biol. 1999 Jul;1(3):152-7. doi: 10.1038/11072.

Abstract

Haem oxygenase-1 (HO1) is a heat-shock protein that is induced by stressful stimuli. Here we demonstrate a cytoprotective role for HO1: cell death produced by serum deprivation, staurosporine or etoposide is markedly accentuated in cells from mice with a targeted deletion of the HO1 gene, and greatly reduced in cells that overexpress HO1. Iron efflux from cells is augmented by HO1 transfection and reduced in HO1-deficient fibroblasts. Iron accumulation in HO1-deficient cells explains their death: iron chelators protect HO1-deficient fibroblasts from cell death. Thus, cytoprotection by HO1 is attributable to its augmentation of iron efflux, reflecting a role for HO1 in modulating intracellular iron levels and regulating cell viability.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Apoptosis / physiology*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / physiology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Culture Media, Serum-Free
  • Etoposide / pharmacology
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Fibroblasts / pathology
  • Gene Deletion
  • Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / deficiency
  • Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / genetics*
  • Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / metabolism*
  • Heme Oxygenase-1
  • Humans
  • Iron / metabolism*
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Skin / cytology
  • Skin / drug effects
  • Skin / metabolism*
  • Staurosporine / pharmacology
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Culture Media, Serum-Free
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Etoposide
  • Iron
  • HMOX1 protein, human
  • Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing)
  • Heme Oxygenase-1
  • Hmox1 protein, mouse
  • Staurosporine