Open AccessIsolation and characterisation of Haemophilus influenzae type b mutants defective in transferrin‐binding and iron assimilation
Author(s) -
Holland Julie,
Towner Kevin J.,
Williams Paul
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1991.tb04362.x
Subject(s) - transferrin , mutant , haemophilus influenzae , biology , wild type , virulence , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , iron binding proteins , chemistry , antibiotics , gene
Summary The quinone antibiotic streptonigrin was used to select mutants of Haemophilus influenzae type b defective in human transferrin binding. Compared with the parent wild‐type strain (JKP1), mutant JKP5 was unable to bind transferrin whilst mutant JKP4 showed reduced binding. JKP5 appeared to lack an approximately 72 kDa transferrin‐binding protein. Unlike JKP1, neither JKP4 nor JKP5 were able to acquire iron from human transferrin but their ability to use a variety of other iron and haem compounds as iron sources was unaffected. Such mutants should prove useful in further elucidating the mechanism of transferrin iron‐acquisition and its contribution to the virulence of H. influenzae .