Transferrin internalization into endosomes

The bulk of transferrin iron is delivered to immature erythroid cells for utilization in heme synthesis. Iron in excess of this requirement is stored as ferritin and hemosiderin. Unloading of iron to immature erythroid cells is by receptor-mediated endocytosis. The process begins in the clathrin-coated pits with the binding of diferric transferrin to specific plasma membrane transferrin receptors that are associated with the HFE protein complex. The next step is the internalization of the transferrin-transferrin receptor-HFE protein complex with formation of endosomes. The iron transporter DMTl present in the cell membrane is also internalized into the endosomes. In the endosomes, a proton pump acidifies the complex to pH 5.4, and by altering conformation of proteins, iron is released from transferrin bound to transferrin receptor... 

It should be pointed out, however, that not all hormones dissociate from their receptor in the pH 5.5 environment of the endosome [24], Some hormone-receptor complexes require much lower pH values for dissociation to occur. Although not a peptide hormone, the iron-transport protein transferrin is a peculiar example of this phenomenon and should be pointed out. In this case, at the neutral pH of the extracellular fluid transferrin containing bound iron binds to its cell surface receptor and is internalized. In the low pH environment of the endosome, iron becomes dissociated from transferrin, but transferrin remains bound to its receptor. The transferrin receptor, with bound transferrin, is then recycled to the cell surface. With iron no longer bound to the transferrin, the transferrin readily dissociates from its receptor at the neutral pH of the extracellular fluid [25,26]. This mechanism provides for an efficient continual uptake of iron into cells. Unlike transferrin, however, in those instances where peptide hormones have been documented not to be dissociated from their receptor in the endosome compartment, the hormone and receptor are delivered to the lysosomes via fusion of the endosomes with lyso-somes, where both hormone and receptor are degraded [24,27]. The continuous degradation of the receptor with each round of RME eventually leads to a decrease in the number of receptors on the cell surface, a phenomenon called down-regulation. 

Internal exchange of iron is accomplished by the plasma protein transferrin. This 76 kDa /Ij-glycoprotein has 2 binding sites for ferric iron. Iron is delivered from transferrin to intracellular sites by means of specific transferrin receptors in the plasma membrane. The iron-transferrin complex binds to the receptor, and the ternary complex is taken up by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Iron subsequently dissociates in the acidic, intracellular vesicular compartment (the endosomes), and the receptor returns the apotransferrin to the cell surface, where it is released into the extracellular environment. Cells regulate their expression of transferrin receptors and intracellular ferritin in response to the iron supply. Apoferritin synthesis is regulated post-transcriptionally by 2 cytoplasmic binding proteins (IRP-1 and lRP-2) and an iron-regulating element on its mRNA (IRE). 

The receptor ligand transferrin has been incorporated into chitosan/DNA polyplexes which enhanced gene transfer up to four-fold compared to immod-ified chitosan [67]. In a similar fashion, incorporation of C-terminal domain of adenovirus fiber knob protein enhanced transfection up to 130-fold in HeLa cells. Further modifications include the incorporation of hydrophobic moieties to generate dodecylated chitosan, deoxychoHc acid modified chitosan. Urocanic acid-modified chitosan [68] was reported to mediate efficient gene delivery it was hypothesized that the imidazole ring plays a crucial role for enhancing the release of internalized polyplexes from endosomal vesicles. 

---