The ZIP7 Gene (Slc39a7) Encodes a Zinc Transporter Involved in Zinc Homeostasis of the Golgi Apparatus

    April 2005 in “ Journal of biological chemistry/˜The œJournal of biological chemistry ”
    Liping Huang, Catherine P. Kirschke, Yunfan Zhang, Yan Yu
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    TLDR The ZIP7 gene helps control zinc levels in cells by moving zinc from the Golgi apparatus to the cytoplasm.
    The study demonstrated that the ZIP7 gene (Slc39a7) encoded a zinc transporter crucial for maintaining zinc homeostasis within the Golgi apparatus by transporting zinc from the Golgi to the cytoplasm. ZIP7 was ubiquitously expressed in human and mouse tissues and localized in the Golgi apparatus. Overexpression of ZIP7 in yeast mutant cells alleviated zinc accumulation and increased the cytoplasmic zinc pool. ZIP7 protein expression was repressed under zinc-rich conditions, but its gene expression and intracellular localization remained unaffected by zinc availability. The research highlighted ZIP7's essential role in cellular zinc regulation and its importance for Golgi function.
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