Biological Significance of Manganese in Mammalian Systems

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, US. A. 

Since Cotzias s 1958 review [1], a number of excellent monographs, chapters, and review articles have appeared [2-23]. The period prior to 1984 is perhaps best summarized by the multi-author monograph [18], with regard to concepts of nutrition and transport, interaction with several important enzymes and metabolic processes, and as a biophysical probe. The references in the current review result from a selective search of the 

A surprising number of reports of interaction of Mn(II) with a variety of important enzyme systems, involving activation of either catalysis or regulation, have appeared in the past decade. These systems are summarized in Table 3.1, and are striking because of the large number of key enzymes implicated, and also because certain categories or types of chemistry are conspicuous by being under-represented or totally absent. 

The limited number of redox enzymes reported to involve Mn(II) or Mn(III) directly in catalysis include catalase, a peroxidase, a hydroxylase, and 

Two reports of a manganese-specific brain hexokinase [68,69] are of special interest since as this enzyme is normally considered magnesium-activated. Mn(H) is also reported to activate a phosphoinositide kinase, part 

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F. C. Wedler, Biological significance of manganese in mammalian systems, Prog. Med. Chem., 30 (1993), 89-133. 

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