Predicted to enable cadmium ion transmembrane transporter activity; iron ion transmembrane transporter activity; and manganese ion transmembrane transporter activity. Involved in intracellular iron ion homeostasis; manganese ion homeostasis; and response to manganese ion. Located in apical plasma membrane. Is expressed in dopaminergic neurons; gonadal sheath cell; marginal cell; and pharyngeal-intestinal valve. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in several diseases, including anemia (multiple); autoimmune disease (multiple); inflammatory bowel disease (multiple); leishmaniasis (multiple); and tuberculosis (multiple). Orthologous to human SLC11A1 (solute carrier family 11 member 1) and SLC11A2 (solute carrier family 11 member 2).
WB Description
smf-2 encodes one of three C. elegans divalent-metal ion transporters (DMTs) orthologous to the mammalian DMT1 transporters and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Smf proteins; in C. elegans, SMF-2 appears to function as both a manganese and iron transporter that regulates metal content; mutations in smf-2 display a decreased tolerance to manganeseexposure; SMF-2 is expressed mainly in the marginal pharyngeal epithelium from late embryogenesis through adulthood; SMF-2 localizes primarily to cytoplasmic compartments, with some apical plasma membrane localization seen in the mc cells; smf-2 is overexpressed in smf-1 and smf-3 mutants, and SMF-2 appears to be required for smf-1 and smf-3 expression changes in response to manganese; when expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, smf-2 can rescue the EGTA hypersensitivity of Smf1+2 mutants.