Identification and characterization of SirA, an iron-regulated protein from Staphylococcus aureus.

ABSTRACT: The acquisition of iron by pathogenic bacteria is often a crucial step in establishing infection. To accomplish this, many bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, produce low-molecular-weight iron-chelating siderophores. However, the secretion and transport of these molecules in gram-positive organisms are poorly understood. The sequence, organization, and regulation of genes involved in siderophore transport are conserved among gram-negative bacteria. We used this information to identify a putative siderophore transport locus from an S. aureus genomic sequence database. This locus contains three predicted open reading frames with a high degree of homology to genes involved in siderophore uptake in several bacterial species, in particular the cbr locus of the plant pathogen Erwinia chry

SUBMITTER: Heinrichs JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC93531 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature