High affinity copper uptake protein 1 (CTR1) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC31A1gene.[5][6]
Copper is an element essential for life, but excessive copper can be toxic or even lethal to the cell. Therefore, cells have developed sophisticated ways to maintain a critical copper balance, with the intake, export, and intracellular compartmentalization or buffering of copper strictly regulated. The 2 related genes ATP7A and ATP7B, responsible for the human diseases Menkes syndrome and Wilson disease, respectively, are involved in copper export. In S. cerevisiae, the copper uptake genes CTR1, CTR2, and CTR3 have been identified, and in human the CTR1 and CTR2 (MIM 603088) genes have been identified.[6]
Clinical significance
In 2022, a new autosomal-recessive disease was discovered that is caused by mutations of the CTR1 gene.[7] The disease is characterized by profound deficiency of copper in the central nervous system and presents with infantile seizures and neurodegeneration.
Maruyama K, Sugano S (1994). "Oligo-capping: a simple method to replace the cap structure of eukaryotic mRNAs with oligoribonucleotides". Gene. 138 (1–2): 171–4. doi:10.1016/0378-1119(94)90802-8. PMID8125298.
Suzuki Y, Yoshitomo-Nakagawa K, Maruyama K, et al. (1997). "Construction and characterization of a full length-enriched and a 5'-end-enriched cDNA library". Gene. 200 (1–2): 149–56. doi:10.1016/S0378-1119(97)00411-3. PMID9373149.
Møller LB, Petersen C, Lund C, Horn N (2001). "Characterization of the hCTR1 gene: genomic organization, functional expression, and identification of a highly homologous processed gene". Gene. 257 (1): 13–22. doi:10.1016/S0378-1119(00)00394-2. PMID11054564.
Hardman B, Manuelpillai U, Wallace EM, et al. (2006). "Expression, localisation and hormone regulation of the human copper transporter hCTR1 in placenta and choriocarcinoma Jeg-3 cells". Placenta. 27 (9–10): 968–77. doi:10.1016/j.placenta.2005.10.011. PMID16356544.