Zinc Biochemistry, Physiology, and Homeostasis

The chapters in this book review the advances in the field of zinc biology since the 1990s. Zinc is essential for life, in particular for growth and development, through its role in hundreds of zinc enzymes and thousands of zinc proteins. Its catalytic, structural and regulatory functions in these proteins impact metabolism, gene expression and signal transduction, including neurotransmission. Among the micronutrients, zinc may rank with iron in its importance to public health. The topics covered range from single molecules to cells and whole organisms. These include: the chemistry, design and application of fluorophores for the determination of cellular zinc; the role of zinc in proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of cells; proteins that transport, sense and distribute zinc and together form a cellular homeostatic system; the co-ordination chemistry of zinc in metalloproteins; the role of zinc in the brain as a neuromodulator/transmitter; the dependence of the immune system on zinc; and zinc homeostasis in the whole human body.