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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1985 Jun;82(11):3640–3643. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.11.3640

Reduction of mammalian ferritin.

G D Watt, R B Frankel, G C Papaefthymiou
PMCID: PMC397841  PMID: 3858840

Abstract

Mammalian ferritin from horse spleen undergoes an electrochemical or chemical reduction reaction in which each iron atom present is reduced by one electron (2300 electrons per ferritin molecule containing 2300 Fe3+ ions). Midpoint potentials of -190 mV, -310 mV, and -416 mV were determined at pH 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0. This variation of potential with pH indicates that approximately 2 H+ are transferred to the core for each Fe3+ reduced to Fe2+. Mössbauer measurements of partially reduced ferritin give spectra that consist of a ferric quadrupole doublet with a superposed ferrous quadrupole doublet. The relative intensities of these doublets are consistent with the electrochemically determined degree of reduction.

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Selected References

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