Iron uptake and iron-repressible polypeptides in Yersinia pestis.
Pigmented (Pgm+) cells of Yersinia pestis are virulent, are sensitive to pesticin, adsorb exogenous hemin at 26 degrees C (Hms+), produce iron-repressible outer membrane proteins, and grow at 37 degrees C in iron-deficient media. These traits are lost upon spontaneous deletion of a chromosomal 102-kb pgm locus (Pgm-). Here we demonstrate that an Hms+ but pesticin-resistant (Pst(r)) mutant acquired a 5-bp deletion in the pesticin receptor gene (psn) encoding IrpB to IrpD. Growth and assimilation of iron by Pgm- and Hms+ Pst(r) mutants were markedly inhibited by ferrous chelators at 37 degrees C; inhibition by ferric and ferrous chelators was less effective at 26 degrees C. Iron-deficient growth at 26 degrees C induced iron-regulated outer membrane proteins of 34, 28.5, and 22.5 kDa and periplasmic polypeptides of 33.5 and 30 kDa. These findings provide a basis for understanding the psn-driven system of iron uptake, indicate the existence of at least one additional 26 degrees C-dependent iron assimilation system, and define over 30 iron-repressible proteins in Y. pestis.
Lucier
T S
TS
Department of Microbiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824-1101, USA.
Fetherston
J D
JD
Brubaker
R R
RR
Perry
R D
RD
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006427:Hemin / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000235:genetics*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001430:Bacteriocins; D002614:Chelating Agents; C090748:FyuA protein, Yersinia; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C011330:Pesticin; D006427:Hemin; D007501:Iron