Zinc is a transition metal and catalytic cofactor involved in many biological processes such as proliferation, development and differentiation, regulation of DNA synthesis, genomic stability, cell activation, RNA transcription, immune function. Zinc homeostasis in cells is ensured by various protein families including zinc transporters, zinc-binding proteins (Metallothioneins, MTs), transcription factors (MTF1-2). ZnT (1-10) transporters are responsible of zinc efflux and are assigned to the SLC30A family while ZIP (1-14) transporters are responsible for the influx of zinc into the cytoplasm and are assigned to the SLC39A family. Zn2+ enters into the cell by the ZIP transporters, and once inside the cell is available to bind metalloproteins (MT) which deliver to ZnT, or the zinc can bind directly to ZnTs and then deliver in the organelles / vesicles or lead outside the cell. Elevated zinc levels have been reported in different tumor tissue, such as breast and lung cancer. Metal-response element-binding transcription factor-1 (MTF-1) functions as a cellular zinc sensor which coordinates the expression of genes involved in zinc homeostasis. b85 c8b b6b SLC39A1 (ZIP1) transporter is responsible for the influx of zinc into the cytoplasm zinc is chelated by cytoplasmic proteins, such as MTs SLC30A1 (ZnT1) transporter is responsible of zinc efflux zinc is chelated by cytoplasmic proteins, such as MTs zinc is chelated by cytoplasmic proteins, such as MTs zinc is chelated by cytoplasmic proteins, such as MTs zinc is chelated by cytoplasmic proteins, such as MTs zinc is chelated by cytoplasmic proteins, such as MTs zinc is chelated by cytoplasmic proteins, such as MTs zinc is chelated by cytoplasmic proteins, such as MTs zinc is chelated by cytoplasmic proteins, such as MTs zinc is chelated by cytoplasmic proteins, such as MTs zinc is chelated by cytoplasmic proteins, such as MTs zinc is chelated by cytoplasmic proteins, such as MTs cc2 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/169026 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/169026 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/169026 fcd fb5 b06 eaf d4c neuron CL:0000540 Cell Type type B pancreatic cell CL:0000169 Cell Type 17344318 PubMed Role of GAC63 in transcriptional activation mediated by beta-catenin. Chen YH; Yang CK; Xia M; Ou CY; Stallcup MR 2007 24710731 PubMed Current understanding of ZIP and ZnT zinc transporters in human health and diseases. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2014 Kambe T Hashimoto A Fujimoto S. 23506888 PubMed The SLC30 family of zinc transporters - a review of current understanding of their biological and pathophysiological roles 2013 Huang L Tepaamorndech S. homeostasis pathway PW:0000355 Pathway Ontology 10755665 PubMed Induction, regulation, degradation, and biological significance of mammalian metallothioneins Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol. 2000;35(1):35-70. 2000 Miles AT Hawksworth GM Beattie JH Rodilla V. 22057392 PubMed A conserved cysteine cluster, essential for transcriptional activity, mediates homodimerization of human metal-responsive transcription factor-1 (MTF-1). 2012 24416395 PubMed Metallothionein - immunohistochemical cancer biomarker: a meta-analysis. PLoS One 2014 Gumulec J Raudenska M Adam V Kizek R Masarik M 24416395 PubMed Metallothionein - immunohistochemical cancer biomarker: a meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2014 Jan 8;9(1):e85346 2014 Gumulec J Raudenska M Adam V, Kizek R Masarik M. 22289350 PubMed The taste of heavy metals: gene regulation by MTF-1 2012 10755665 PubMed Induction, regulation, degradation, and biological significance of mammalian metallothioneins. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2000 Miles AT Hawksworth GM Beattie JH Rodilla V 23506894 PubMed The SLC39 family of zinc transporters Mol Aspects Med. 2013 2013 Jeong J Eide DJ mammary gland epithelial cell CL:0002327 Cell Type 11831458 PubMed Cellular zinc sensors: MTF-1 regulation of gene expression 2001