title: A Neisseria meningitidis fbpABC mutant is incapable of using nonheme iron for growth.
abstract: The neisserial fbpABC locus has been proposed to act as an iron-specific ABC transporter system. To confirm this assigned function, we constructed an fbpABC mutant in Neisseria meningitidis by insertional inactivation of fbpABC with a selectable antibiotic marker. The mutant was unable to use iron supplied from human transferrin, human lactoferrin, or iron chelates. However, the use of iron from heme and human hemoglobin was unimpaired. These results support the obligatory participation of fbpABC in neisserial periplasmic iron transport and do not indicate a role for this genetic locus in the heme iron pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Khun
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001692:Biological Transport; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D007501:Iron