Nitric Oxide Biosensor Uncovers Diminished Ferrous Iron-Dependency of

Cultured Cells Adapted to Physiological Oxygen Levels

Abstract

Iron is an essential metal for cellular metabolism and signaling, but it has adverse effects in excess. The physiological consequences of iron deficiency are well established, yet the relationship between iron supplementation and pericellular oxygen levels in cultured cells and their downstream effects on metalloproteins has been less explored. This study investigates the functionality of geNOps – an iron-containing metalloprotein and NO biosensor – in cultured HEK293T epithelial and EA.hy926 endothelial cells adapted to standard room air (18 kPa O₂) or physiological normoxia (5 kPa O₂). We show that cells in culture require iron supplementation to activate the metalloprotein geNOps and demonstrate that cells adapted to physiological normoxia require significantly lower iron to achieve geNOps signals comparable to those measured in cells adapted to hyperoxia. This study establishes an essential role for recapitulating oxygen levels in vivo and uncovers a previously unrecognized requirement for ferrous iron supplementation under standard cell culture conditions to achieve geNOps functionality.

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