Title |
Role of Catecholate Siderophores in Gram-Negative Bacterial Colonization of the Mouse Gut
|
---|---|
Published in |
PLOS ONE, November 2012
|
DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0050020 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Hualiang Pi, Shari A. Jones, Lynn E. Mercer, Jessica P. Meador, Joyce E. Caughron, Lorne Jordan, Salete M. Newton, Tyrrell Conway, Phillip E. Klebba |
Abstract |
We investigated the importance of the production of catecholate siderophores, and the utilization of their iron (III) complexes, to colonization of the mouse intestinal tract by Escherichia coli. First, a ΔtonB strain was completely unable to colonize mice. Next, we compared wild type E. coli MG1655 to its derivatives carrying site-directed mutations of genes for enterobactin synthesis (ΔentA::Cm; strain CAT0), ferric catecholate transport (Δfiu, ΔfepA, Δcir, ΔfecA::Cm; CAT4), or both (Δfiu, ΔfepA, ΔfecA, Δcir, ΔentA::Cm; CAT40) during colonization of the mouse gut. Competitions between wild type and mutant strains over a 2-week period in vivo showed impairment of all the genetically engineered bacteria relative to MG1655. CAT0, CAT4 and CAT40 colonized mice 10(1)-, 10(5)-, and 10(2)-fold less efficiently, respectively, than MG1655. Unexpectedly, the additional inability of CAT40 to synthesize enterobactin resulted in a 1000-fold better colonization efficiency relative to CAT4. Analyses of gut mucus showed that CAT4 hyperexcreted enterobactin in vivo, effectively rendering the catecholate transport-deficient strain iron-starved. The results demonstrate that, contrary to prior reports, iron acquisition via catecholate siderophores plays a fundamental role in bacterial colonization of the murine intestinal tract. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
India | 1 | 1% |
United States | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 74 | 97% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 23 | 30% |
Researcher | 12 | 16% |
Student > Postgraduate | 7 | 9% |
Student > Bachelor | 7 | 9% |
Student > Master | 6 | 8% |
Other | 12 | 16% |
Unknown | 9 | 12% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 28 | 37% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 17 | 22% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 6 | 8% |
Chemistry | 4 | 5% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 4 | 5% |
Other | 7 | 9% |
Unknown | 10 | 13% |