Iron response element

The IRE is found in UTRs (untranslated regions) of various mRNAs whose products are involved in iron metabolism.

When iron concentration is low, IRPs bind the IRE in the ferritin mRNA and cause reduced translation rates.

In contrast, binding to multiple IREs in the 3' UTR of the transferrin receptor (involved in iron acquisition) leads to increased mRNA stability.

The classical theory suggests that IRPs, in the absence of iron, bind avidly to the mRNA IRE.

[3] In the second theory two proteins compete for the IRE binding site—both IRP and eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4F (eIF4F).

The crystal structure and NMR data show a bulged U in the lower stem of the ferritin IRE.

[26] CDC14A encodes a dual-specificity phosphatase implicated in cell cycle control[27] and also interacts with interphase centrosomes.

Crystal structure of iron regulatory protein 1 in complex with ferritin H IRE-RNA, Protein Data Bank entry 2IPY . ^{[

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