Hepcidin(HAMP)is a secreted protein that belongs to the hepcidin family.It is expressed in liver, heart and brain. It is involved in the maintenance of iron homeostasis, and it is necessary for the regulation of iron storage in macrophages, and for intestinal iron absorption. The preproprotein is post-translationally cleaved into mature peptides of 20, 22 and 25 amino acids, and these active peptides are rich in cysteines, which form intramolecular bonds that stabilize their beta sheet structures.
