Assimilation of metal ions bound to porphyrins or porphyrin-peptides by vibrio vulnificus, a human pathogen inhabiting estuarine and marine environments.
Vibrio vulnificus, a ubiquitous microorganism in aquatic environments, causes serious septicemia to the immunocompromised host. In addition to protoheme, this species can utilize Fe-TCPP [ferric tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphine] as an iron source. In the present study, heme c bound covalently to the protein in cytochrome c, as well as the Fe-TCPP complex formed with a nanopeptide with a high affinity, was found to be useful iron sources for V. vulnificus. This bacterium was also revealed to use Zn-TCPP as a single zinc source. However, other metalloporphyrins such as Mn-TCPP and Pt-TCPP delayed the bacterial growth in the broth containing Fe-TCPP, suggesting interference in the iron assimilation. These results indicate that V. vulnificus may acquire metal ions from both free and peptide-bound metalloporphyrins.
Miyoshi
Shin-ichi
S
Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Tushima-Naka, Okayama 700-8530, Japan. miyoshi@pharm.okayama-u.ac.jp
Sasaki
Tomoko
T
Kaku
Nahoko
N
Inoue
Takaharu
T
Uozumi
Natsuki
N
Maehara
Yoko
Y
Nakao
Hiroshi
H
D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D008665:Metalloporphyrins / Q000378:metabolism*; D041261:Vibrio vulnificus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
D008665:Metalloporphyrins; C473248:iron 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-4-carboxyphenylporphyrin; C067542:zinc(II) tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphine; D045304:Cytochromes c