title: Buried Treasure: Evolutionary Perspectives on Microbial Iron Piracy.
abstract: Host-pathogen interactions provide valuable systems for the study of evolutionary genetics and natural selection. The sequestration of essential iron has emerged as a crucial innate defense system termed nutritional immunity, leading pathogens to evolve mechanisms of 'iron piracy' to scavenge this metal from host proteins. This battle for iron carries numerous consequences not only for host-pathogen evolution but also microbial community interactions. Here we highlight recent and potential future areas of investigation on the evolutionary implications of microbial iron piracy in relation to molecular arms races, host range, competition, and virulence. Applying evolutionary genetic approaches to the study of microbial iron acquisition could also provide new inroads for understanding and combating infectious disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. Electronic address: mbarber@genetics.utah.edu.
authors.forename: Matthew F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Nels C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Elde
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005658:Fungi / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015870:Gene Expression; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D017136:Ion Transport; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D017262:Siderophores / Q000378:metabolism; D014168:Transferrin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017262:Siderophores; D014168:Transferrin; D037521:Virulence Factors; D007501:Iron
keywords: arms race; evolution; immunity; iron; microbe; pathogen