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Metal-Limited Growth of Neisseria gonorrhoeae for Characterization of Metal-Responsive Genes and Metal Acquisition from Host Ligands
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Transition Metals and Virulence in Bacteria.
Lauren D Palmer1, Eric P Skaar1,2
1Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37212;
Annual Review of Genetics
|September 13, 2016
Summary
Transition metals are vital for life, acting as enzyme cofactors. Bacteria and hosts battle for these metals during infection, driving evolution and revealing insights into host-pathogen interactions and metal homeostasis.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Transition metals are essential trace elements for all life forms.
- They function as critical cofactors for enzymes and proteins.
- Bacterial pathogens exploit host metals for growth, while hosts employ metal sequestration and toxicity to combat infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in understanding the role of transition metals at the host-pathogen interface.
- To highlight key areas of coevolution between hosts and bacterial pathogens concerning metal acquisition and defense.
- To identify open questions and future research directions in this field.
Main Methods:
- This review synthesizes findings from recent scientific literature.
- It focuses on studies investigating metal homeostasis, bacterial pathogenesis, and host-pathogen interactions.
- Key themes include metal acquisition strategies, host defense mechanisms, and bacterial counter-strategies.
Main Results:
- Bacterial pathogens have evolved sophisticated systems to acquire essential metals from hosts.
- Host organisms dynamically alter metal availability and employ toxic metal concentrations to inhibit bacterial growth.
- The interplay between host and pathogen over metal resources drives rapid evolution and shapes host specificity.
Conclusions:
- The battle for transition metals is a central theme in host-pathogen dynamics.
- Understanding these interactions reveals fundamental principles of social microbiology, evolution, and metal homeostasis.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex role of metals in infectious diseases.
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