Checks and balances for the iron bank

Abstract

The RNA-binding iron regulatory proteins IRP1 and IRP2 are inactivated by either Fe-S cluster insertion or protein degradation mediated by the E3 ligase component FBXL5. However, the mechanisms for coordination between Fe-S cluster assembly, FBXL5, and IRP1/IRP2 activity are poorly defined. A new study reveals that FBXL5 plays a critical role in limiting IRP1 and IRP2 overaccumulation when cytosolic Fe-S cluster assembly is impaired in order to maintain optimal iron levels for cell viability.