An ECF-type transporter scavenges heme to overcome iron-limitation in Staphylococcus lugdunensis

eLife

Severien Meyers¹  Peter Verhamme¹  David E Heinrichs²  Denny Chin²  Inda Setyawati³  Dirk J Slotboom³  Nadine Anna Schilling⁴  Simon Heilbronner⁵  Darya Belikova⁵  Angelika Jochim⁵  Lea Adolf⁵ 

[1] Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Leuven, Belgium;Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada;Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands;Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany;Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Department of Infection Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany;

关键词: iron;    heme;    ECF-transporter;    staphylococcus lugdunensis;    nutritional immunity;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.57322

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Energy-coupling factor type transporters (ECF) represent trace nutrient acquisition systems. Substrate binding components of ECF-transporters are membrane proteins with extraordinary affinity, allowing them to scavenge trace amounts of ligand. A number of molecules have been described as substrates of ECF-transporters, but an involvement in iron-acquisition is unknown. Host-induced iron limitation during infection represents an effective mechanism to limit bacterial proliferation. We identified the iron-regulated ECF-transporter Lha in the opportunistic bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus lugdunensis and show that the transporter is specific for heme. The recombinant substrate-specific subunit LhaS accepted heme from diverse host-derived hemoproteins. Using isogenic mutants and recombinant expression of Lha, we demonstrate that its function is independent of the canonical heme acquisition system Isd and allows proliferation on human cells as sources of nutrient iron. Our findings reveal a unique strategy of nutritional heme acquisition and provide the first example of an ECF-transporter involved in overcoming host-induced nutritional limitation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown