Relationship between Iron and Phosphate in Mammalian Ferritins

The core of mammalian ferritin is known to contain varying amounts of phosphate as well as iron. This study examined the variations in phosphate found in ferritins from horse spleen, rat liver, and bovine liver. The amount of phosphate varied inversely with the amount of iron present in the core. Theoretical extrapolation showed that in the absence of phosphate approximately 4400 atoms of iron could be incorporated into ferritin. Reconstitution of ferritin with iron and ceruloplasmin followed by prolonged incubation with phosphate produced cores similar to native ferritin in terms of iron to phosphate ratios and rates of iron release. However, ferritin reconstituted in the presence of phosphate differed markedly from native ferritins. The data suggest that phosphate is an integral part of mammalian ferritin cores and influences both core formation and the ease by which iron is released from ferritin.