Investigation of the importance of zinc-signaling: insights from animal model study and human disease

Abstract

Zinc (Zn) is one of the essential trace elements required for human developments and it plays an important role in the maintenance of numerous tissue homeostasis. The amount of Zn levels was below the constant level which induced the various harmful health effects such as impaired growth, hair loss, taste disturbance, anorexia. Maintenance of Zn homeostasis in body mainly depends on two families of Zn transporters; Zrt- and Irt-like proteins (ZIPs), and Zinc transporters (ZnTs). Some studies based on the gene knock-out mice and human genetic analysis have been reported the relationship between zinc transporters and human diseases. Recent studies have shown that Zn transporter-mediated Zn ion behaves as a signaling factor, called Zn signal, that exerts a multiple function in cellular events. In this review article we describe important physiological roles of Zn transporters and their contribution at the molecular, biochemical, and genetic levels underlying the mechanisms of human diseases.