Metabolism of the redox active metals iron and copper

Iron and copper ions are essential components for a large number of important cellular proteins. Insufficient supply of these metal ions leads to severe complication of many metabolic pathways and to diseases. However, iron and copper in excess can also cause problems, since in redox active form these metal ions catalyse the generation of highly reactive radicals, thereby contributing to the development of oxidative damage. In this research topic we investigate the mechanisms involved in the uptake, the storage and the export of iron and copper in brain cells by using cultures of brain cells as model systems.