Simon Labbé’s work on iron and copper homeostasis

Abstract

Iron and copper have a wealth of functions in biological systems, which makes them essential micronutrients for all living organisms. Defects in iron and copper homeostasis are directly responsible for diseases, and have been linked to impaired development, metabolic syndromes and fungal virulence. Consequently, it is crucial to gain a comprehensive understanding of the molecular bases of iron-and copper-dependent proteins in living systems. Simon Labbé maintains parallel programs on iron and copper homeostasis using the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Schiz. pombe ) as a model system. The study of fission yeast transition-metal metabolism has been successful, not only in discerning the genes and pathways functioning in Schiz. pombe , but also the genes and pathways that are active in mammalian systems and for other fungi.

An outlook on ion signaling and ionome of mycorrhizal symbiosis

“…important insights into the molecular biology of cellular metal homeostasis have been gained from work on S. pombe. Fission yeast is successfully used to study copper homeostasis (Labbé, 2010). The components of a novel eukaryotic heteromeric plasma membrane complex that is essential for high affinity copper transport were identified in S. pombe (Zhou and Thiele, 2001).…”