Mitochondrial ferritin (MtFt) is a mitochondrial iron storage protein, whose function and regulation is largely unknown. Our previous results have shown that MtFt markedly affects intracellular iron distribution and homeostasis in mammalian cells (

Blood
105
:
2161
–2167,
2005
). Using tumor xenografts, we examined the effects of expression MtFt on tumor iron metabolism and growth. H1299 parental or MtFt overexpressing cells were implanted into nude mice. As compared to control tumor xenografts, the expression of MtFt dramatically reduced the implanted tumor growth. A cytosolic iron starvation phenotype in MtFt expressing tumors was revealed by increased RNA-binding activity of iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) and, concomitantly, both an increase in transferrin receptor levels and a decrease in cytosolic ferritin. MtFt overexpression also led to a decrease in both total cellular heme content and heme oxygenase-1 levels. In addition, the expression of MtFt in tumors was associated with a decrease in aconitase activity and lower frataxin protein levels. Mitochondrial iron deposition in MtFt expressing tumors was directly observed by transmission electron microscopy. The pattern of iron accumulation in MtFt overexpressing tumor cells is remarkably similar to that observed in the mitochondria of sideroblastic anemia patients. In conclusion, our study shows that MtFt expression significantly affected tumor iron homeostasis by shunting iron into mitochondria; iron scarcity resulted in partial defects in heme and iron-sulfur cluster syntheses. It is likely that deprivation of iron in the cytosol is the cause of the significant inhibition of xenograft tumor growth.

Topics:
ftmt gene, iron metabolism, mice, nude, neoplasms, transplantation, heterologous, tumor growth, iron, heme, aconitate hydratase, anemia, sideroblastic

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2005, The American Society of Hematology
2005
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