Iron uptake is essential for Escherichia coli survival in drinking water.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to elucidate if the need for iron for Escherichia coli to remain cultivable in a poorly nutritive medium such as the drinking water uses the iron transport system via the siderophores.


RESULTS
Environmental strains of E. coli (isolated from a drinking water network), referenced strains of E. coli and mutants deficient in TonB, an essential protein for iron(III) acquisition, were incubated for 3 weeks at 25 degrees C, in sterile drinking water with and without lepidocrocite (gamma-FeOOH), an insoluble iron corrosion product. Only cells with a functional iron transport system were able to survive throughout the weeks.


CONCLUSIONS
The iron transport system via protein TonB plays an essential role on the survival of E. coli in a weakly nutritive medium like drinking water.


CONCLUSIONS
Iron is a key parameter involved in coliform persistence in drinking water distribution systems.
Grandjean
D
D
Laboratoire de Chimie Physique et Microbiologie Pour l'Environnement (LCPME), rue de Vandoeuvre, Villers-lès-Nancy, France.
Jorand
F
F
Guilloteau
H
H
Block
J-C
JC
D000332:Aerobiosis; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D017262:Siderophores / Q000378:metabolism; D014881:Water Supply
D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D017262:Siderophores; C489181:tonB protein, E coli; D007501:Iron