Staphylococcus aureus HrtA is an ATPase required for protection against heme toxicity and prevention of a transcriptional heme stress response.

ABSTRACT: During systemic infection, Staphylococcus aureus acquires nutrient iron from heme, the cofactor of vertebrate myoglobin and hemoglobin. Upon exposure to heme, S. aureus up-regulates the expression of the heme-regulated transporter, HrtAB. Strains lacking hrtAB exhibit increased sensitivity to heme toxicity, and upon heme exposure they elaborate a secreted protein response that interferes with the recruitment of neutrophils to the site of infection. Taken together, these results have led to the suggestion that hrtAB encodes an efflux system responsible for relieving the toxic effects of accumulated heme. Here we extend these observations by demonstrating that HrtA is the ATPase component of the HrtAB transport system. We show that HrtA is an Mn(2+)/Mg(2+)-dependent ATPase that functions at

SUBMITTER: Stauff DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2395006 | biostudies-literature | 2008 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature