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Iron-source preference of Staphylococcus aureus infections
Eric P Skaar1, Munir Humayun, Taeok Bae
1Committee on Microbiology, 920 East 58th Street, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|September 14, 2004
Summary
Staphylococcus aureus bacteria prefer heme iron during infection, utilizing a specific heme transport system (hts). This system is crucial for staphylococcal pathogenesis and initiating infections in animal hosts.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Bacteria require iron for growth and survival.
- Different iron sources are available during infection, but microbial preference is unknown.
- Staphylococcus aureus is a significant human pathogen.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if Staphylococcus aureus distinguishes between different iron sources during infection.
- To identify the mechanisms and genes involved in iron source preference.
Main Methods:
- Stable isotope labeling and mass spectrometry to track iron sources.
- Computational genome analysis to identify relevant gene clusters.
- In vivo animal models to assess staphylococcal pathogenesis.
Main Results:
- Staphylococcus aureus preferentially imports heme iron over transferrin iron.
- The heme transport system (hts) gene cluster was identified, facilitating heme iron import.
- The hts system is essential for staphylococcal pathogenesis in animal models.
Conclusions:
- Heme iron is the preferred iron source for Staphylococcus aureus during infection initiation.
- The hts system plays a critical role in staphylococcal virulence by enabling heme iron acquisition.
- Understanding iron source preference can inform strategies against staphylococcal infections.