Campylobacter requires iron for successful colonization of the host. In the last 7 years, a wealth of data has been generated allowing detailed molecular characterization of Campylobacter iron-uptake systems. Several exogenous siderophores have been identified as sources of ferric iron for Campylobacter. Ferri-enterochelin uptake requires both the outer-membrane receptor protein CfrA and the in...

AIMS To determine whether chelated sources of ferric iron were efficient inhibitors of biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and might be suitable for drug delivery to the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients via nebulization. METHODS AND RESULTS The response of P. aeruginosa biofilms to elevated iron concentrations in the form of eight structurally varied iron chelators in a microtit...

Introduction With iron deficiency being the most common nutritional deficiency in the world (Yip in Bowman and Russell, 2001), it comes as no surprise that iron is one of the most investigated micronutrients. Iron deficiency anaemia affects more than 1 billion people, mostly women of childbearing age and young children (Jacobson, 2008). Subsequently many national and international intervention ...

As a commensal and opportunistic pathogen, Candida albicans possesses a range of determinants that contribute to survival, persistence and virulence. Among this repertoire of fitness and virulence attributes are iron acquisition factors and pathways, which allow fungal cells to gain this essential mineral in the iron-poor environment of the host. The aim of this review is to present the strateg...

The use of hemin iron by Corynebacterium diphtheriae requires the DtxR- and iron-regulated ABC hemin transporter HmuTUV and the secreted Hb-binding protein HtaA. We recently described two surface anchored proteins, ChtA and ChtC, which also bind hemin and Hb. ChtA and ChtC share structural similarities to HtaA; however, a function for ChtA and ChtC was not determined. In this study, we identifi...

OBJECTIVE To investigate food sources and intakes of iron, and dietary factors associated with serum ferritin levels in 6-24-month-old children. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey employing proportionate cluster sampling was conducted in 1998/1999. Dietary intakes were assessed using a non-consecutive 3-day weighed food record. Serum ferritin and C-reactive protein were analysed from non-fasting...

Analysis of a global compilation of dissolved-iron observations provides insights into the processes controlling iron distributions and some constraints for ocean biogeochemical models. The distribution of dissolved iron appears consistent with the conceptual model developed for Th isotopes, whereby particle scavenging is a two-step process of scavenging mainly by colloidal and small particulat...

Oceanic iron inputs must be traced and quantified to learn how they affect primary productivity and climate. Chemical reduction of iron in continental margin sediments provides a substantial dissolved flux to the oceans, which is isotopically lighter than the crust, and so may be distinguished in seawater from other sources, such as wind-blown dust. However, heavy iron isotopes measured in seaw...