Two parallel pathways for ferric and ferrous iron acquisition support growth and virulence of the intracellular pathogen Francisella tularensis Schu S4.

ABSTRACT: Iron acquisition mechanisms in Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, include the Francisella siderophore locus (fsl) siderophore operon and a ferrous iron-transport system comprising outer-membrane protein FupA and inner-membrane transporter FeoB. To characterize these mechanisms and to identify any additional iron uptake systems in the virulent subspecies tularensis, single and double deletions were generated in the fsl and feo iron acquisition systems of the strain Schu S4. Deletion of the entire fsl operon caused loss of siderophore production that could be restored by complementation with the biosynthetic genes fslA and fslC and Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) transporter gene fslB. (55) Fe-transport assays demonstrated that siderophore-iron uptake required the

SUBMITTER: Perez N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4905997 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature