Description
Recombinant full length human ferritin (H chain) protein with molecular weight 21.7 kDa.
Ferritin is a ubiquitous intracellular protein that stores iron and releases it in a controlled fashion. It is a protein of 450 kDa consisting of 24 subunits that is present in every cell type. In vertebrates, these subunits are both the light (L) and the heavy (H) type with an apparent molecular weight of 19 kDA or 21 kDA respectively; their sequences are about 50% homologous. Ferritin heavy chain (FHC), the primary iron storage factor is an essential mediator of the antioxidant and protective activities of NF-kappa B. FHC is induced downstream of NF-kappa B and is required to prevent sustained JNK activation and, thereby, apoptosis triggered by TNF alpha. FHC-mediated inhibition of JNK signaling depends on suppressing ROS accumulation and is achieved through iron sequestration. The results suggest modulation of FHC or, more broadly, of iron metabolism as a potential approach for anti-inflammatory therapy