Issue 10, 2017

Cellular copper homeostasis: current concepts on its interplay with glutathione homeostasis and its implication in physiology and human diseases

Abstract

Copper is a trace element essential for almost all living organisms. But the level of intracellular copper needs to be tightly regulated. Dysregulation of cellular copper homeostasis leading to various diseases demonstrates the importance of this tight regulation. Copper homeostasis is regulated not only within the cell but also within individual intracellular compartments. Inactivation of export machinery results in excess copper being redistributed into various intracellular organelles. Recent evidence suggests the involvement of glutathione in playing an important role in regulating copper entry and intracellular copper homeostasis. Therefore interplay of both homeostases might play an important role within the cell. Similar to copper, glutathione balance is tightly regulated within individual cellular compartments. This review explores the existing literature on the role of glutathione in regulating cellular copper homeostasis. On the one hand, interplay of glutathione and copper homeostasis performs an important role in normal physiological processes, for example neuronal differentiation. On the other hand, perturbation of the interplay might play a key role in the pathogenesis of copper homeostasis disorders.

Graphical abstract: Cellular copper homeostasis: current concepts on its interplay with glutathione homeostasis and its implication in physiology and human diseases

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
08 ⵎⴰⵕ 2017
Accepted
09 ⵢⵓⵏ 2017
First published
09 ⵢⵓⵏ 2017

Metallomics, 2017,9, 1376-1388

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