Hfe effect on hepcidin production (Mus musculus)

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Hfe, the mouse equivalent of the human hemochromatosis gene, is known to promote expression of hepcidin, a gene product that inhibits iron absorption, but it is not fully clear how it does this, or at which point Hfe interacts with the cycle(Hfe could be acting on the interaction at points A,B, or C). Hfe, as well as Tmprss6, another gene product, are used in the regulation of systemic iron homeostasis. Evidence obtained from gene testing on mice seems to indicate that Hfe inhibits Tmprss6, which is known to be an inhibitor of Hjv, a gene product that augments BMP/SMAD signaling for the production of hepcidin. Alternatively, Hfe may promote Bmp/Smad signaling by HJV, or by promoting signaling at a point past where Tmprss6 inhibits HJV.