Definition:

Major iron transporter that plays a key role in balancing cellular and systemic iron levels. Transports iron from intestinal, splenic, and hepatic cells into the blood to provide iron to other tissues (By similarity). Controls therefore dietary iron uptake, iron recycling by macrophages, and release of iron stores in hepatocytes (By similarity). When iron is in excess, hepcidin/HAMP levels increase resulting in a degradation of ferroportin/SLC40A1 limiting the iron efflux to plasma.