Metal Homeostasis in Microbial Physiology and Virulence

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Background

The transition metals iron, zinc, manganese, and copper are micronutrients required by all living organisms. These trace elements can function as structural components of proteins and may serve as catalytic cofactors of many essential enzymatic reactions. However, when in excess, these metals can be toxic. Redox-active metals catalyze the generation of harmful reactive oxygen species that damage the cell components. Alternatively, the mismetallation of proteins can inhibit enzymatic reactions and disrupt critical metabolic pathways. Intracellular concentrations of transition metals must be balanced to allow proper protein metallation and prevent metal intoxication. Not surprisingly, transition metal homeostasis has a profound impact on the establishment and progression of infections by pathogenic microorganisms. Hosts will often try to restrict access to, or poison microbes with these metals. As a countermeasure, invading microorganisms will deploy strategies to scavenge these nutrients from host tissues and maintain metal homeostasis.
This Research Topic will highlight the recent advances regarding the strategies used by pathogenic bacteria and fungi to maintain the homeostasis of transition metals when faced with the mechanisms of the host nutritional immunity. We are particularly interested in studies that use a combination of genetic, genomic, biochemical, and molecular microbiology approaches to provide novel insights into how pathogenic microorganisms acquire, storage, and extrude metals to sustain their survival and growth inside the host.
We invite the submission of Original Research, Review, and Mini-Review articles covering different aspects of the metal homeostasis related to bacterial and fungal pathogenesis. This include, but are not limited to:
• Mechanisms of acquisition and efflux of the transition metals iron (heme), zinc, manganese, and copper and their contribution to bacterial and fungal virulence.
• The role of siderophores in iron acquisition and virulence, the discovery of siderophores that evade siderocalin, and the immunomodulatory role of siderophores.
• Discovery and characterization of metallophores that are important to bacteria and fungi scavenging several metals (iron, zinc, and copper).
• Characterization of novel mechanisms of metal acquisition such as those involving effectors secreted by type six secretion systems.
• Regulatory systems involved in metal homeostasis and transcriptome profiling in response to the metal restriction (as mediated by calprotectin) or excess.
• Management of the intracellular labile metal pool by buffer systems to alleviate metal toxicity.

Keywords: metals, manganese, zinc, copper, Microbial Physiology, Metal Homeostasis

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