Manganese transport in mammals by zinc transporter family proteins, ZNT and ZIP

Manganese (Mn) is an essential trace element required for various biological processes. However, excess Mn causes serious side effects in humans, including parkinsonism. Thus, elucidation of Mn homeostasis at the systemic, cellular, and molecular levels is important. Many metal transporters and channels can be involved in the transport and homeostasis of Mn, and an increasing body of evidence shows that several zinc (Zn) transporters belonging to the ZIP and ZNT families, specifically, ZNT10, ZIP8, and ZIP14, play pivotal roles in Mn metabolism. Mutations in the genes encoding these transporter proteins are associated with congenital disorders related to dysregulated Mn homeostasis in humans. Moreover, single nucleotide polymorphisms of ZIP8 are associated with multiple clinical phenotypes. In this review, we discuss the recent literature on the structural and biochemical features of ZNT10, ZIP8, and ZIP14, including transport mechanisms, regulation of expression, and pathophysiological functions. Because a disturbance in Mn homeostasis is closely associated with a variety of phenotypes and risk of human diseases, these transporters constitute a significant target for drug development. An understanding of the roles of these key transporters in Mn metabolism should provide new insights into pharmacological applications of their inhibitors and enhancers in human diseases. (c) 2021 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Japanese Pharmacological Society. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

Automated summary

Manganese is an essential trace element with potential side effects if consumed in excess. Zinc transporters ZNT10, ZIP8, and ZIP14 play key roles in manganese metabolism and are associated with genetic disorders. Understanding these transporters may lead to pharmacological applications in treating human diseases related to manganese homeostasis.