Hemoglobin receptor redundancy in <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>: molecular flexibility as a determinant of divergent hemophore activity.

ABSTRACT: To overcome iron limitation in the host, Staphylococcus aureus exploits sophisticated mechanisms to acquire this essential nutrient, particularly from hemoglobin (Hb). The bacterial hemophores IsdH and IsdB play key roles in binding Hb and extracting heme, but the structural and mechanistic differences underlying their individual contributions remain poorly defined. In this study, we dissected the molecular mechanisms by which IsdH engages Hb and mediates heme extraction, using cryo-electron microscopy, biochemical assays, and single-molecule force spectroscopy. Our structural analyses revealed pronounced conformational heterogeneity within IsdH:Hb complexes, highlighting marked flexibility in the heme-binding domain of IsdH, likely underlying its distinct functional behavior. This

SUBMITTER: Buoli Comani V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12664084 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature