Metal acquisition and virulence in Brucella.
Similar to other bacteria, Brucella strains require several biologically essential metals for their survival in vitro and in vivo. Acquiring sufficient levels of some of these metals, particularly iron, manganese and zinc, is especially challenging in the mammalian host, where sequestration of these micronutrients is a well-documented component of both the innate and acquired immune responses. This review describes the Brucella metal transporters that have been shown to play critical roles in the virulence of these bacteria in experimental and natural hosts.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Boulevard, Greenville, NC 27834, USA. roopr@ecu.edu
R Martin
RM
Roop
D000818:Animals; D002002:Brucella / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism; D008345:Manganese / Q000378:metabolism; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*; D009532:Nickel / Q000378:metabolism; D014774:Virulence; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism
D008670:Metals; D008345:Manganese; D009532:Nickel; D007501:Iron; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc