1932

Abstract

The unique redox potential of iron makes it an ideal cofactor in diverse biochemical reactions. Iron is therefore vital for the growth and proliferation of nearly all organisms, including pathogenic bacteria. Vertebrates sequester excess iron within proteins in order to alleviate toxicity and restrict the amount of free iron available for invading pathogens. Restricting the growth of infectious microorganisms by sequestering essential nutrients is referred to as nutritional immunity. In order to circumvent nutritional immunity, bacterial pathogens have evolved elegant systems that allow for the acquisition of iron during infection. The gram-positive extracellular pathogen is a commensal organism that can cause severe disease when it gains access to underlying tissues. Iron acquisition is required for colonization and subsequent pathogenesis. Herein we review the strategies employs to obtain iron through the production of siderophores and the consumption of host heme.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-micro-090110-102851
2011-06-02
2024-03-29
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-micro-090110-102851
Loading
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-micro-090110-102851
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Review Article
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error