AUTHOR=Rakin Alexander , Schneider Lukas , Podladchikova Olga 

TITLE=Hunger for iron: the alternative siderophore iron scavenging systems in highly virulent Yersinia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=2

YEAR=2012

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2012.00151

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2012.00151

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p>Low molecular weight siderophores are used by many living organisms to scavenge scarcely available ferric iron. Presence of at least a single siderophore-based iron acquisition system is usually acknowledged as a virulence-associated trait and a pre-requisite to become an efficient and successful pathogen. Currently, it is assumed that yersiniabactin (Ybt) is the solely functional endogenous siderophore iron uptake system in highly virulent <italic>Yersinia</italic> (<italic>Yersinia pestis</italic>, <italic>Y. pseudotuberculosis</italic>, and <italic>Y. enterocolitica</italic> biotype 1B). Genes responsible for biosynthesis, transport, and regulation of the yersiniabactin (<italic>ybt</italic>) production are clustered on a mobile genetic element, the High-Pathogenicity Island (HPI) that is responsible for broad dissemination of the <italic>ybt</italic> genes in <italic>Enterobacteriaceae</italic>. However, the <italic>ybt</italic> gene cluster is absent from nearly half of <italic>Y. pseudotuberculosis</italic> O3 isolates and epidemic <italic>Y. pseudotuberculosis</italic> O1 isolates responsible for the Far East Scarlet-like Fever. Several potential siderophore-mediated iron uptake gene clusters are documented in <italic>Yersinia</italic> genomes, however, neither of them have been proven to be functional. It has been suggested that at least two siderophores alternative to Ybt may operate in the highly virulent <italic>Yersinia pestis</italic>/<italic>Y</italic>. <italic>pseudotuberculosis</italic> group, and are referred to as pseudochelin (Pch) and yersiniachelin (Ych). Furthermore, most sporadic <italic>Y. pseudotuberculosis</italic> O1 strains possess gene clusters encoding all three iron scavenging systems. Thus, the Ybt system appears not to be the sole endogenous siderophore iron uptake system in the highly virulent yersiniae and may be efficiently substituted and/or supplemented by alternative iron siderophore scavenging systems.</p>