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Use of hemoglobin as an iron source by Bacillus cereus
N Sato1, H Kurotaki, T Watanabe
1Department of Microbiology, Tohoku College of Pharmacy, Sendai, Japan.
The hemoglobin binding activity of Bacillus cereus cells was measured with fluoresceinisothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated hemoglobin using flow cytometry. Growth of B. cereus was markedly inhibited by the addition of apo-transferrin. B. cereus could not use transferrin-bound iron as an iron source in serum. The growth inhibition was reversed by the addition of a FeCl3 solution, erythrocytes or hemoglobin. B. cereus released hemolysin; these findings suggested that the hemoglobin released from erythrocytes by B. cereus hemolysin binds to B. cereus and is thus used as an iron source.
The hemoglobin binding activity of Bacillus cereus cells was measured with fluoresceinisothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated hemoglobin using flow cytometry. Growth of B. cereus was markedly inhibited by the addition of apo-transferrin. B. cereus could not use transferrin-bound iron as an iron source in serum. The growth inhibition was reversed by the addition of a FeCl3 solution, erythrocytes or hemoglobin. B. cereus released hemolysin; these findings suggested that the hemoglobin released from erythrocytes by B. cereus hemolysin binds to B. cereus and is thus used as an iron source.