title: The interplay between iron and zinc metabolism in Aspergillus fumigatus.
abstract: Zinc plays a critical role in a diverse array of biochemical processes. However, excess of zinc is deleterious to cells. Therefore, cells require finely tuned homeostatic mechanisms to balance uptake and storage of zinc. Here we show that iron starvation affects zinc metabolism by downregulating expression of the plasma membrane zinc importer encoding zrfB and upregulating the putative vacuolar zinc transporter-encoding zrcA in Aspergillus fumigatus. Nevertheless, the zinc content of iron-starved mycelia exceeded that of iron replete mycelia, possibly due to unspecific metal uptake induced by iron starvation. In agreement with increased zinc excess and zinc toxicity during iron starvation, deficiency in siderophore-mediated high-affinity iron uptake caused hypersensitivity to zinc. Moreover, an increase of zinc uptake by conditional overexpression of zrfB was more toxic under iron depleted compared to iron replete conditions. This deregulated zinc uptake under iron starvation caused a decrease in heme production and an increase in protoporphyrin IX accumulation. Furthermore, zinc excess impaired production of the extracellular siderophore triacetylfusarinine C but not the intracellular siderophore ferricrocin. Taken together, these data demonstrate a fine tuned coordination of zinc and iron metabolism in A. fumigatus.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria. yasmin.sabiha@i-med.ac.at
authors.forename: Sabiha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yasmin
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abt
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schrettl
authors.forename: Tarek A A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Moussa
authors.forename: Ernst R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Hubertus
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haas
mesh_terms: D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D005291:Ferrichrome / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D006418:Heme / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006706:Homeostasis; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D025282:Mycelium / Q000378:metabolism; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000378:metabolism; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D005291:Ferrichrome; C021678:ferricrocin; D006418:Heme; C053324:N,N',N''-triacetylfusarinine C; C028025:protoporphyrin IX; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc