Erythrocytic ferroportin reduces intracellular iron accumulation, hemolysis, and malaria risk

Iron's grip on malaria Malaria parasites have coevolved with their human and mammalian hosts. These Plasmodium species invade the iron-rich environment of red blood cells. Zhang et al. found that the iron transporter ferroportin persists on the surface of mature mammalian red blood cells. Red blood cells are at risk of oxidative damage if their hemoglobin releases its iron; ferroportin is thus important to expel this iron. The authors also found that the transporter can deprive malaria parasites of the iron they need for proliferation. The Q248H mutation in the human ferroportin gene enhances ferroportin expression during development and seems to provide protection against malaria. This effect may explain the enrichment of the Q248H mutation among African populations. Science , this issue p. 1520