Solute Carrier Family 25, Member 39 (SLC25A39)

SLC25A39 belongs to the SLC25 family of mitochondrial carrier proteins (Haitina et al., 2006). By searching databases for SLC25 family members, Haitina et al. (2006) identified 2 splice variants of SLC25A39. The deduced protein contains 318 amino acids. Heme biosynthesis consists of a series of eight enzymatic reactions that originate in mitochondria and continue in the cytosol before returning to mitochondria. Although these core enzymes are well studied, additional mitochondrial transporters and regulatory factors are predicted to be required. Moreover, silencing of Slc25a39 in murine erythroleukemia cells impaired iron incorporation into protoporphyrin IX, and vertebrate Slc25a39 complemented an iron homeostasis defect in the orthologous yeast mtm1Delta deletion mutant.