Ferritin-like family proteins in the anaerobe Bacteroides fragilis: when an oxygen storm is coming, take your iron to the shelter.

ABSTRACT: Bacteroides are gram-negative anaerobes and one of the most abundant members the lower GI tract microflora where they play an important role in normal intestinal physiology. Disruption of this commensal relationship has a great impact on human health and disease. Bacteroides spp. are significant opportunistic pathogens causing infections when the mucosal barrier integrity is disrupted following predisposing conditions such as GI surgery, perforated or gangrenous appendicitis, perforated ulcer, diverticulitis, trauma and inflammatory bowel diseases. B. fragilis accounts for 60-90 % of all anaerobic infections despite being a minor component of the genus (<1 % of the flora). Clinical strains of B. fragilis are among the most aerotolerant anaerobes. When shifted from anaerobic to aerobic cond

SUBMITTER: Rocha ER 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3815548 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature