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Laboratory Simulation of an Iron(II)-rich Precambrian Marine Upwelling System to Explore the Growth of Photosynthetic Bacteria
Published on: July 24, 2016
Is the bacterial ferrous iron transporter FeoB a living fossil?
1Mikrobiologie/Membranphysiologie, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, Tübingen, Germany. hantke@uni-tuebingen.de
Abstract:
The cytoplasmic membrane protein FeoB of Escherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori, Legionella pneumophila and Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 is necessary for Fe(2+) uptake. The C-terminal part of FeoB is predicted to contain 8-12 membrane-spanning helices. The N-terminal domain shows much similarity to eukaryotic and prokaryotic G proteins and, indeed, GTPase activity is necessary for Fe(2+) transport. Four of the five characteristic conserved G protein motifs have been identified in FeoB proteins. Whether FeoB is involved directly, via its Me(2+) binding site, or indirectly in Fe(2+) transport, remains to be investigated.
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