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Current Opinion in Immunology Oct 2019Transition metal ions are essential to bacterial pathogens and their hosts alike but are harmful in excess. In an effort to curtail the replication of intracellular... (Review)
Review
Transition metal ions are essential to bacterial pathogens and their hosts alike but are harmful in excess. In an effort to curtail the replication of intracellular bacteria, host phagocytes exploit both the essentiality and toxicity of transition metals. In the paradigmatic description of nutritional immunity, iron and manganese are withheld from phagosomes to starve microbial invaders of these nutrients. Conversely, the destructive properties of copper and zinc appear to be harnessed by phagocytes, where these metals are delivered in excess to phagosomes to intoxicate internalized bacteria. Here, we briefly summarize key players in metal withholding from intracellular pathogens, before focusing on recent findings supporting the function of copper and zinc as phagocyte antimicrobial effectors. The mechanisms of copper and zinc toxicity are explored, along with strategies employed by intracellular bacterial pathogens to avoid killing by these metals.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Copper; Phagocytes; Zinc
PubMed: 31063946
DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2019.04.002 -
Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 2013
Topics: Dietary Supplements; Humans; Micronutrients; Periodicals as Topic; Zinc
PubMed: 23689108
DOI: 10.1159/000348577 -
Molecular Plant Jan 2022Zinc plays many essential roles in life. As a strong Lewis acid that lacks redox activity under environmental and cellular conditions, the Zn cation is central in... (Review)
Review
Zinc plays many essential roles in life. As a strong Lewis acid that lacks redox activity under environmental and cellular conditions, the Zn cation is central in determining protein structure and catalytic function of nearly 10% of most eukaryotic proteomes. While specific functions of zinc have been elucidated at a molecular level in a number of plant proteins, wider issues abound with respect to the acquisition and distribution of zinc by plants. An important challenge is to understand how plants balance between Zn supply in soil and their own nutritional requirement for zinc, particularly where edaphic factors lead to a lack of bioavailable zinc or, conversely, an excess of zinc that bears a major risk of phytotoxicity. Plants are the ultimate source of zinc in the human diet, and human Zn deficiency accounts for over 400 000 deaths annually. Here, we review the current understanding of zinc homeostasis in plants from the molecular and physiological perspectives. We provide an overview of approaches pursued so far in Zn biofortification of crops. Finally, we outline a "push-pull" model of zinc nutrition in plants as a simplifying concept. In summary, this review discusses avenues that can potentially deliver wider benefits for both plant and human Zn nutrition.
Topics: Biofortification; Crops, Agricultural; Homeostasis; Triticum; Zinc
PubMed: 34952215
DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2021.12.008 -
The Israel Medical Association Journal... Apr 2022Zinc is a trace element, which is abundant in nature. It is also an essential and important micronutrient found in many foods. It has a role in multiple bodily processes... (Review)
Review
Zinc is a trace element, which is abundant in nature. It is also an essential and important micronutrient found in many foods. It has a role in multiple bodily processes including wound healing and boosting of the immune system. This review shows evidence of zinc deficiency in cancer patients of all types, a deficiency that correlates with disease severity and negatively correlates with survival rates. Lower zinc levels led to more severe and advanced disease symptoms and to lower survival rates. Zinc is a nanoparticle and acts as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy in various combinations with other substances. It also shows incredible cytotxicity and tumor suppressive ability in studies conducted both in vitro and in vivo as well as in studies conducted in humans. This result is shown in all types of cancer tested. Zinc shows incredible toxicity toward cancer cells without showing any side effects toward healthy cells. It is recommended that zinc be added to cancer treatment regimens to alleviate zinc deficiency in cancer patients and perhaps to treat cancer as a whole.
Topics: Humans; Immune System; Malnutrition; Neoplasms; Wound Healing; Zinc
PubMed: 35415986
DOI: No ID Found -
Zhejiang Da Xue Xue Bao. Yi Xue Ban =... May 2016Autophagy refers to a catabolic process,in which the damaged organelles or biological macromolecules, such as protein aggregates, are degraded via lysosome. The...
Autophagy refers to a catabolic process,in which the damaged organelles or biological macromolecules, such as protein aggregates, are degraded via lysosome. The completion of autophagy depends on a series of autophagy-related genes (Atgs) and many upstream regulatory molecules. Zinc is an essential trace element, and plays an important role in the process of autophagy as a component of enzymes and structural proteins like zinc transporters or zinc finger protein. The regulation of autophagy is closely associated with the zinc ion homeostasis. In addition, many studies suggest that the protective effects of zinc on cells are likely to be done by autophagy. This review aims to summarize the current research progress and discuss the reciprocal regulation mechanism between zinc and autophagy, which may provide insights into the intricate roles of autophagy in diseases and find novel strategies for treatment and prevention of human diseases.
Topics: Animals; Autophagy; Homeostasis; Humans; Proteins; Zinc
PubMed: 27651198
DOI: 10.3785/j.issn.1008-9292.2019.05.15 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2020Zinc supplementation is reported to slow down the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but there is no general consensus on the beneficiary effect on... (Review)
Review
Zinc supplementation is reported to slow down the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but there is no general consensus on the beneficiary effect on zinc in AMD. As zinc can stimulate autophagy that is declined in AMD, it is rational to assume that it can slow down its progression. As melanosomes are the main reservoir of zinc in the retina, zinc may decrease the number of lipofuscin granules that are substrates for autophagy. The triad zinc-autophagy-AMD could explain some controversies associated with population studies on zinc supplementation in AMD as the effect of zinc on AMD may be modulated by genetic background. This aspect was not determined in many studies regarding zinc in AMD. Zinc deficiency induces several events associated with AMD pathogenesis, including increased oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and the resulting lipofuscinogenesis. The latter requires autophagy, which is impaired. This is a vicious cycle-like reaction that may contribute to AMD progression. Promising results with zinc deficiency and supplementation in AMD patients and animal models, as well as emerging evidence of the importance of autophagy in AMD, are the rationale for future research on the role of autophagy in the role of zinc supplementation in AMD.
Topics: Animals; Autophagy; Dietary Supplements; Disease Progression; Humans; Macular Degeneration; Oxidative Stress; Retina; Zinc
PubMed: 32679798
DOI: 10.3390/ijms21144994 -
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) Mar 2015
Topics: Deficiency Diseases; Dietary Supplements; Humans; Trace Elements; Zinc
PubMed: 25770261
DOI: 10.3945/an.114.006874 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2022Pathogenic bacterial infections are the second highest cause of death worldwide and bring severe challenges to public healthcare. Antibiotic resistance makes it urgent... (Review)
Review
Pathogenic bacterial infections are the second highest cause of death worldwide and bring severe challenges to public healthcare. Antibiotic resistance makes it urgent to explore new antibacterial therapy. As an essential metal element in both humans and bacteria, zinc ions have various physiological and biochemical functions. They can stabilize the folded conformation of metalloproteins and participate in critical biochemical reactions, including DNA replication, transcription, translation, and signal transduction. Therefore, zinc deficiency would impair bacterial activity and inhibit the growth of bacteria. Interestingly, excess zinc ions also could cause oxidative stress to damage DNA, proteins, and lipids by inhibiting the function of respiratory enzymes to promote the formation of free radicals. Such dual characteristics endow zinc ions with unparalleled advantages in the direction of antibacterial therapy. Based on the fascinating features of zinc ions, nanomaterial-based zinc ion interference therapy emerges relying on the outstanding benefits of nanomaterials. Zinc ion interference therapy is divided into two classes: zinc overloading and zinc deprivation. In this review, we summarized the recent innovative zinc ion interference strategy for the treatment of bacterial infections and focused on analyzing the antibacterial mechanism of zinc overloading and zinc deprivation. Finally, we discuss the current limitations of zinc ion interference antibacterial therapy and put forward problems of clinical translation for zinc ion interference antibacterial therapy.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Humans; Ions; Nanostructures; Zinc
PubMed: 35844505
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.899992 -
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences Feb 2022Zinc is an essential trace element that plays important roles in the regulation of various physiological responses in the body. Zinc deficiency is known to cause various... (Review)
Review
Zinc is an essential trace element that plays important roles in the regulation of various physiological responses in the body. Zinc deficiency is known to cause various health problems, including dysgeusia, skin disorders, and immune disorders. Therefore, the maintenance of healthy zinc content in the body is critical to our healthy life. Zinc homeostasis is tightly controlled by two of the solute carrier protein families SLC30A and SLC39A, called zinc transporters. In the last decade, research on zinc biology has made dramatic progress based on the physiological and functional analysis of zinc transporters in the fields of molecular biology, human genetics, and drug discovery. In particular, since the association between zinc transporters and human diseases was recently reported using human genetics and gene knockout mouse studies, zinc and zinc signals controlled by zinc transporters have been considered useful therapeutic targets. In this review, we introduce the importance of zinc homeostasis based on the findings of zinc transporter functions and their signals in relation to human diseases.
Topics: Animals; Carrier Proteins; Homeostasis; Humans; Mice, Knockout; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Signal Transduction; Zinc; Mice
PubMed: 35063137
DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2021.11.007 -
Acta Pharmacologica Sinica Jul 2018Zinc is an essential nutrient for human health and has anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory functions. The association between zinc deficiency and the development... (Review)
Review
Zinc is an essential nutrient for human health and has anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory functions. The association between zinc deficiency and the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) has been supported by numerous studies. Supplementing zinc can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and protect against myocardial infarction and ischemia/reperfusion injury. In this review we summarize the evidence in the literature, to consolidate the current knowledge on the dysregulation of zinc homeostasis in CVDs, and to explore the significant roles of the zinc homeostasis-regulatory proteins in cardiac physiology and pathophysiology. Moreover, this review also deliberates on the potential diagnostic and prognostic implications of zinc/zinc homeostasis-associated molecules (ZIP, ZnT, and MTs) in CVDs.
Topics: Animals; Cardiovascular Diseases; Homeostasis; Humans; Oxidative Stress; Zinc
PubMed: 29926844
DOI: 10.1038/aps.2018.25