Tfr2 is necessary for acute iron-dependent hepcidin induction in mice with Tfr1-deficient hepatocytes

In hepatocytes, transferrin receptor 1 (Tfr1) plays a limited role in iron acquisition but negatively regulates signaling to the iron hormone hepcidin (Hamp) through its interaction with the hemochromatosis protein Hfe. Its homologue transferrin receptor 2 (Tfr2), operates as an iron sensor and direct positive regulator of hepcidin expression. We generated TfrcAlb-Cre;Tfr2Alb-Cre mice with hepatocyte-specific ablation of both Tfr1 and Tfr2 to study their effects on iron homeostasis. These animals are viable and develop systemic iron overload, recapitulating a key feature of Tfr2Alb-Cremice, albeit with milder hepatic iron accumulation and relatively higher residual hepcidin expression, presumably driven by "liberated" Hfe. Only Tfr1-expressing primary hepatocytes from Tfrcfl/fl;Tfr2fl/fl and Tfr2Alb-Cre mice internalized fluorescent holo-transferrin (AF647-Tf), arguing against a significant contribution of Tfr2 or other receptors in transferrin-bound iron uptake. Under dietary iron restriction, Hamp mRNA suppression and hepatic iron depletion were comparable in Tfr2-deficient livers from TfrcAlb-Cre;Tfr2Alb-Cre and Tfr2Alb-Cre mice, despite compensatory Tfr1 upregulation in the latter, which likely sequesters Hfe. Conversely, Tfr1-deficient but Tfr2-expressing livers from TfrcAlb-Cre mice displayed relatively elevated Hamp mRNA, as expected. Following an acute dietary iron challenge, HampmRNA induction and Smad1,5,9 phosphorylation occurred only in the liver of Tfr2-expressing TfrcAlb-Cre but not in TfrcAlb-Cre;Tfr2Alb-Cre mice, indicating that "liberated" Hfe requires Tfr2 to become functionally active. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that transferrin receptors are dispensable for hepatocellular iron supply, and that Tfr2 and Hfe exhibit non-redundant functions under chronic iron loading, but act cooperatively to induce hepcidin in response to an acute iron challenge.