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Manganese acquisition and homeostasis at the host-pathogen interface

John P Lisher1, David P Giedroc2

  • 1Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Indiana University Bloomington, IN, USA.

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
|December 25, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Pathogenic bacteria scavenge essential metals like manganese (Mn) to survive host defenses. Bacteria adapt by acquiring needed metals and removing toxic ones, impacting infection persistence.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions

Background:

  • Pathogenic bacteria require transition metals for survival and infection persistence.
  • The human host uses nutritional defenses, including metal withholding and oxidative stress, to combat pathogens.
  • Calprotectin (CP) is a key host protein that chelates manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn), limiting their availability to bacteria.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in understanding manganese acquisition and homeostasis in pathogenic bacteria.
  • To connect bacterial metal acquisition strategies with resistance to host-induced oxidative stress.
  • To explore the interplay between manganese, iron (Fe) availability, and the host-pathogen interface.

Main Methods:

  • Review of biological, chemical, and structural studies.
  • Analysis of bacterial adaptive responses to host metal sequestration.
  • Integration of findings on metal homeostasis and oxidative stress resistance.

Main Results:

  • Pathogens have evolved sophisticated systems for manganese (Mn) and other transition metal acquisition.
  • Bacterial metal homeostasis involves both uptake of essential metals and efflux of toxic ones.
  • Manganese acquisition is intrinsically linked to resistance against oxidative and nitrosative insults.

Conclusions:

  • Bacterial manganese (Mn) acquisition and homeostasis are critical for surviving host defenses and infection.
  • Understanding these metal-related processes is key to developing novel anti-infective strategies.
  • The host-pathogen metal "fingerprint" influences bacterial survival and disease progression.
Keywords:
ATP-binding cassettehomeostasisironmanganesemetal transportnutritional immunity

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