The Seo research group is interested in discovering novel and fundamental insights related to iron and manganese biology, related genetic, metabolic, and neurological disorders.
Iron and manganese are essential nutrients for our life. Disturbances of iron and manganese metabolism, caused by genetics, dietary, or environmental factors, can have detrimental impacts on human health. Iron deficiency, for example, is the most prevalent nutrient deficiencies in the world, affecting an estimated 2 billion individuals, mainly young children and women. In contrast, having too much iron (i.e., iron overload) is increasingly being recognized a public health concern. Hemochromatosis is a frequent genetic disorder characterized by the accumulation of excess iron across tissues. Untreated hemochromatosis can be fatal due to organ failures. As many as 1 in 200 Americans are at genetic risk for developing hemochromatosis. While manganese deficiency can result in distinct neurodevelopmental conditions, manganese toxicity can lead to brain manganese accumulation and a parkinsonian-like disorder.
Despite the prevalence and adverse health effects associated with iron and manganese related disorders, our understanding of how iron and manganese are regulated at the molecular level is limited. The Seo lab focuses on identifying and characterizing the roles of iron and manganese in related disorders at the molecular, cellular, and physiologic levels. This research will ultimately help to identify therapeutic targets for treating disorders related to iron and manganese metabolism.
We are currently focusing on the following projects:
1. Physiological Role of Manganese in Health and Disease
1-1. New roles of manganese in gut and metabolic disorders
1-2. Brain disorders associated with manganese misregulation
2. Physiological Role of Iron in Health and Disease
2-1. Mechanisms of Brain iron overload & Neurodegeneration of Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA). [News]
2-2. Developing new approaches for treatment of human disorders of iron imbalance.
Questions? Interested in joining the lab? Email: youngseo@umich.edu
Iron and manganese are essential nutrients for our life. Disturbances of iron and manganese metabolism, caused by genetics, dietary, or environmental factors, can have detrimental impacts on human health. Iron deficiency, for example, is the most prevalent nutrient deficiencies in the world, affecting an estimated 2 billion individuals, mainly young children and women. In contrast, having too much iron (i.e., iron overload) is increasingly being recognized a public health concern. Hemochromatosis is a frequent genetic disorder characterized by the accumulation of excess iron across tissues. Untreated hemochromatosis can be fatal due to organ failures. As many as 1 in 200 Americans are at genetic risk for developing hemochromatosis. While manganese deficiency can result in distinct neurodevelopmental conditions, manganese toxicity can lead to brain manganese accumulation and a parkinsonian-like disorder.
Despite the prevalence and adverse health effects associated with iron and manganese related disorders, our understanding of how iron and manganese are regulated at the molecular level is limited. The Seo lab focuses on identifying and characterizing the roles of iron and manganese in related disorders at the molecular, cellular, and physiologic levels. This research will ultimately help to identify therapeutic targets for treating disorders related to iron and manganese metabolism.
We are currently focusing on the following projects:
1. Physiological Role of Manganese in Health and Disease
1-1. New roles of manganese in gut and metabolic disorders
- Choi EK, Aring L, Das NK, Solanki S, Inohara N, Iwase S, Samuelson LC, Shah YM, Seo YA. (2020) Impact of dietary manganese in experimental colitis in mice. FASEB Journal 34(2):2929-2943
- Choi EK, Nguyen TT, Gupta N, Iwase S, Seo YA. (2018) Functional analysis of SLC39A8 mutations and their implications for manganese deficiency and mitochondrial disorders. Scientific Reports 16;8(1):3163.
1-2. Brain disorders associated with manganese misregulation
- Seo YA*†, Choi EK, Aring L, Paschall M, Iwase S. (2020) Transcriptome analysis of the cerebellum of mice fed a manganese-deficient diet. Frontiers in Genetics 11:558725. PMCID: PMC7780674
- Bakulski KM*, Seo YA*, Hickman RC, Brandt D, Vadari HS, Hu H, Park SK. (2020) Heavy Metal Exposure and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 76(4):1215-1242.
- Choi EK, Nguyen TT, Iwase S, Seo YA. (2019) Ferroportin disease mutations influence manganese accumulation and cytotoxicity. FASEB Journal 33(2):2228-2240
2. Physiological Role of Iron in Health and Disease
2-1. Mechanisms of Brain iron overload & Neurodegeneration of Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA). [News]
- Aring L*, Choi EK*, Kopera H, Lanigan T, Iwase S, Klionsky DJ, Seo YA†. (2021) A neurodegeneration gene, WDR45, links impaired ferritinophagy to iron accumulation. Journal of Neurochemistry
2-2. Developing new approaches for treatment of human disorders of iron imbalance.
- Grillo AS, SantaMaria AM, Kafina MD, Cioffi AG, Huston NC, Han M, Seo YA, Yien YY, Nardone C, Menon AV, Fan J, Svoboda DC, Anderson JB, Hong JD, Nicolau BG, Subedi K, Gewirth AA, Wessling-Resnick M, Kim J, Paw BH, Burke MD. (2017) Restored iron transport by a small molecule promotes absorption and hemoglobinization in animals. Science 356(6338):608-616.
Questions? Interested in joining the lab? Email: youngseo@umich.edu