Microbial Siderophores: Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Physiological and Ecological Impacts

Siderophores, the secondary metabolite of various microorganisms, are ferric ion-specific chelators secreted under iron stressed condition. Since their discovery, Siderophores have been identified almost from microbes everywhere on Earth. Siderophore-dependent iron acquisition is the most efficient strategy for microorganisms to obtain iron from low-iron surroundings. Based on the iron-binding moiety, siderophores are categorized into two main groups, hydroxamic acids and catechols. The biosynthesis pathways are diverse and of great interest even today. Many significant roles of siderophores such as virulence in pathogens, oxidative stress tolerance, siderophore-assisted bioremediation and other heavy metal chelation. The iron chelation ability of siderophores is being recently studied with regards to malignant cancerous cells. More recently, it has been found that they possess antimicrobial properties which can be utilized against a number of microbes.

This Research Topic invites scientists to submit manuscripts with their most recent research results and new insights that will advance the understanding of the diversity and biosynthesis of siderophores, and their physiological, pharmaceutical, and ecological impacts and applications by addressing one or more of the following themes:

• Characterization of novel microbial siderophores and/or novel attributes of previously known microbial siderophores
• Biosynthetic systems and pathways for microbial siderophores and their regulation
• Novel techniques for detection and identification of microbial siderophores
• Exploring the physiology and/or specific physiological impacts of siderophores
• Diversity and distribution of microbial siderophores in the environment
• The pharmaceutical potential of microbial siderophores
• Ecological impacts of microbial siderophores on microbial communities and interacting hosts