Studies on the utilization of ferritin iron in the ferrochelatase reaction of isolated rat liver mitochondria.

The utilization of ferritin as a source of iron for the ferrochelatase reaction has been studied in isolated rat liver mitochondria. 1. It was found that isolated rat liver mitochondria utilized ferritin as a source of iron for the ferrochelatase reaction in the presence of succinate plus FMN (or FAD). 2. Under optimal experimental conditions, i.e., approx. 50 micromol/1 FMN, 37 degrees C, pH 7.4 and 0.5 mmol/l Fe(III) (as ferritin iron), the release process, as shown by the formation of deuteroheme, amounted to approx. 0.5 nmol iron/min per mg protein. 3. The release process could not be elicited by ultrasonically treated mitochondria, lysosomes, microsomes or cytosol, i.e., the release of iron from ferritin was due to mitochondria and was a function of the in situ orientation of the mitochondrial inner membrane. 4. The release of iron from ferritin by the mitochrondria might be of relevance not only for the in situ synthesis of heme in the hepatocyte, but also with respect to the mechanism(s) by means of which iron is mobilized for transport to the erythroid tissue.