Conservation in the Iron Responsive Element Family

Iron responsive elements (IREs) are mRNA stem-loop targets for translational control by the two iron regulatory proteins IRP1 and IRP2. They are found in the untranslated regions (UTRs) of genes that code for proteins involved in iron metabolism. There are ten classic IRE types that define the conserved secondary and tertiary structure elements necessary for proper IRP binding, and there are 83 published IRE-like sequences, most of which depart from the established IRE model. Here are structurally-guided discussions regarding the essential features of an IRE and what is important for IRE family membership.

Automated summary

IREs are mRNA stem-loop targets regulated by IRP1 and IRP2 for translational control in genes involved in iron metabolism. There are ten classic IRE types with conserved secondary and tertiary structure elements, and 83 published IRE-like sequences that deviate from the established IRE model. The essential features of an IRE and its importance for IRE family membership are discussed in structurally-guided discussions.