FTH1P3, a Novel H-Ferritin Pseudogene Transcriptionally Active, Is Ubiquitously Expressed and Regulated during Cell Differentiation

PLoS One. 2016 Mar 16;11(3):e0151359. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151359. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Ferritin, the major iron storage protein, performs its essential functions in the cytoplasm, nucleus and mitochondria. The variable assembly of 24 subunits of the Heavy (H) and Light (L) type composes the cytoplasmic molecule. In humans, two distinct genes code these subunits, both belonging to complex multigene families. Until now, one H gene has been identified with the coding sequence interrupted by three introns and more than 20 intronless copies widely dispersed on different chromosomes. Two of the intronless genes are actively transcribed in a tissue-specific manner. Herein, we report that FTH1P3, another intronless pseudogene, is transcribed. FTH1P3 transcript was detected in several cell lines and tissues, suggesting that its transcription is ubiquitary, as it happens for the parental ferritin H gene. Moreover, FTH1P3 expression is positively regulated during the cell differentiation process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Differentiation*
  • Cell Line
  • Ferritins / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Pseudogenes*
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
  • Transcription, Genetic*

Substances

  • Ferritins

Grants and funding

This research was supported by PON01_02834 PROMETEO (Design and development of innovative technological Platforms for tissue Regeneration in the Oral-Maxillo facial, haematopoietic, neuronal and cardiac system), and Progetto PON03PE_00009_2 ICaRe - Infrastruttura Calabrese per la medicina Rigenerativa: generazione di biobanche per la criopreservazione di cellule staminali umane e di tessuto osseo per uso clinico e design e sviluppo di bioscaffold innovative.