Siderophore-mediated iron acquisition influences motility and is required for full virulence of the xylem-dwelling bacterial phytopathogen Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii.

ABSTRACT: Iron is a key micronutrient for microbial growth but is often present in low concentrations or in biologically unavailable forms. Many microorganisms overcome this challenge by producing siderophores, which are ferric-iron chelating compounds that enable the solubilization and acquisition of iron in a bioactive form. Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii, the causal agent of Stewart's wilt of sweet corn, produces a siderophore under iron-limiting conditions. The proteins involved in the biosynthesis and export of this siderophore are encoded by the iucABCD-iutA operon, which is homologous to the aerobactin biosynthetic gene cluster found in a number of enteric pathogens. Mutations in iucA and iutA resulted in a decrease in surface-based motility that P. stewartii utilizes during the early sta

SUBMITTER: Burbank L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4272718 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature