Background of the antigen
Zinc is an essential cofactor for more than 50 classes of enzymes and is involved in protein, nucleic acid, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism, plus the control of gene transcription, growth, development, and differentiation. Zinc cannot passively diffuse across cell membranes and requires specific transporters, such as SLC39A7, to enter the cytosol from both the extracellular environment and from intracellular storage compartments.
