Preserving energy homeostasis in the presence of stressors such as
proinflammatory cytokines and nutrient overload is crucial to maintaining normal
cellular function. Six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of the prostate 4
(STEAP4), a metalloreductase involved in iron and copper homeostasis, is thought
to play a potentially important role in the cellular response to inflammatory
stress. Genome-wide association studies have linked various mutations in
STEAP4 with the development of metabolic disorders such as
obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Several studies have shown
that expression of Steap4 is modulated by inflammatory
cytokines, hormones, and other indicators of cellular stress, and that STEAP4
may protect cells from damage, helping to maintain normal metabolic function.
STEAP4 appears to be particularly relevant in metabolically oriented cells, such
as adipocytes, hepatocytes, and pancreatic islet cells. These cells struggle to
maintain their function in iron or copper overloaded states, presumably due to
increased oxidative stress, suggesting STEAP4’s role in metal
homeostasisis critical to the maintenance of cellular homeostasis in general,
and in preventing the onset of metabolic disease. In this review, we explore
genetic associations of STEAP4 with metabolic disorders, and we
examine STEAP4 tissue expression, subcellular localization, regulation,
structure, and function as it relates to metabolic diseases. We then examine how
STEAP4’s role as a regulator of cellular iron and copper may relate to
type 2 diabetes.