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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Siderophores and Pyochelin for Infection Control

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Siderophores and Pyochelin for Infection Control

Published on: March 15, 2024

Evolution of siderophore pathways in human pathogenic bacteria.

Jakob Franke¹, Keishi Ishida, Christian Hertweck

¹Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology , HKI, 07745 Jena Germany.

Journal of the American Chemical Society

|April 9, 2014

Summary

Researchers engineered the malleobactin pathway into an ornibactin assembly line in Burkholderia bacteria. This study reveals insights into siderophore biosynthesis evolution and virulence factor development.

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Molecular Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Ornibactin and malleobactin are hydroxamate siderophores produced by human pathogenic Burkholderia.
Their structural and genetic similarities suggest a shared evolutionary origin.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the evolutionary relationship between ornibactin and malleobactin biosynthesis pathways.
To demonstrate the feasibility of rationally redesigning siderophore assembly lines.
To elucidate mechanisms of siderophore biosynthesis and virulence factor evolution.

Main Methods:

Gene coexpression and targeted gene manipulation in Burkholderia.
Engineering the malleobactin pathway to function as an ornibactin pathway.
Analysis of amino acid acylation timing, side chain configuration, and acyltransferase function.

Main Results:

The malleobactin pathway was successfully reprogrammed into an ornibactin pathway, an unprecedented feat for nonribosomal peptide synthetases.
Key details regarding amino acid acylation, side chain stereochemistry, and acyltransferase roles were clarified.
A model for the evolution of bacterial virulence traits was proposed.

Conclusions:

This study provides a proof of concept for the rational design and engineering of siderophore biosynthesis pathways.
The findings offer a novel perspective on the evolutionary pathways driving bacterial virulence.