Zinc transporter proteins: A review and a new view from biochemistry

Abstract

Zinc is an essential biological metal found in approximately 10% of the human proteome. Zinc regulates a large number of proteins and their functions, including transcription factors, enzymes, adapters, receptors, and growth factors, acting as a structural or catalytic cofactor or as a signaling mediator. Increasing evidence indicates that the transport of zinc across biological membranes plays a pivotal role in its biological functions. Zinc transport is mostly mediated by two zinc transporter proteins, ZNT and ZIP. Members of both transporter families are involved in a variety of biological events, which in humans are often associated with health and disease. In this chapter, we review the current understanding of the biochemical functions of both transporter protein families with a particular focus on their biological subgroupings.