Bioinformatic Mapping of Opine-Like Zincophore Biosynthesis in Bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Zinc is an essential nutrient in biological systems due to its structural or catalytic requirement in proteins involved in diverse cellular processes. To meet this cellular demand, microbes must acquire sufficient zinc from their environment. However, many environments have low zinc availability. One of the mechanisms used by bacteria to acquire zinc is through the production of small molecules known as zincophores. Similar to bacterial siderophores used for iron uptake, zincophores are synthesized by the bacterium and exported and then reimported as zincophore-zinc complexes. Thus far, only four zincophores have been described, including two from the human pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in which they play a critical role in zinc acquisition durin

SUBMITTER: Morey JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7438024 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature