Fig. 1

An overview of the locations of some crucial zinc transporters in mammalian cells and the intracellular and intercellular compartmentation of zinc ions. Zinc transporters are classified into two major families, the ZnT (SLC30) family and the ZIP (SLC39) family. As indicated by arrows in the figure, the general functions of ZnTs (ZnT1–7) is to reduce cytoplasmic zinc levels through mobilization of zinc out of cells or into intracellular compartments from the cytoplasm, whereas the function of ZiPs (ZiP1, ZiP4, ZiP6, ZiP8–10, ZiP13–14) is to increase cytoplasmic zinc levels through absorbing zinc into cytoplasm from extracellular space or mobilizing zinc out of intracellular compartments