Molecular Evolution of Transition Metal Bioavailability at the Host-Pathogen Interface.

ABSTRACT: The molecular evolution of the adaptive response at the host-pathogen interface has been frequently referred to as an 'arms race' between the host and bacterial pathogens. The innate immune system employs multiple strategies to starve microbes of metals. Pathogens, in turn, develop successful strategies to maintain access to bioavailable metal ions under conditions of extreme restriction of transition metals, or nutritional immunity. However, the processes by which evolution repurposes or re-engineers host and pathogen proteins to perform or refine new functions have been explored only recently. Here we review the molecular evolution of several human metalloproteins charged with restricting bacterial access to transition metals. These include the transition metal-chelating S100 proteins, n

SUBMITTER: Antelo GT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7969482 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature