Open AccessThe ability of Vibrio vulnificus to use a synthetic hydrophilic heme compound, Fe‐TPPS, as a single iron source
Author(s) -
Miyoshi Shinichi,
Kamei Takehito,
Inami Yu,
Ota Yuki,
Yamamoto Shigeo,
Tomochika Kenichi,
Shinoda Sumio
Publication year - 1999
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.1574-6968.1999.tb13452.x
Subject(s) - vibrio vulnificus , heme , vibrionaceae , chemistry , vibrio , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , biology , genetics , enzyme , gene
Vibrio vulnificus , an opportunistic human pathogen, can obtain iron from a variety of heme proteins. This process involves the digestion of heme proteins by an exoprotease to liberate protoheme (iron‐protoporphyrin IX). In the present study, we tested whether this pathogen also uses a synthetic heme compound, Fe‐α,β,γ,δ‐tetraphenylporphine tetrasulfonic acid (Fe‐TPPS), as an iron source. When inoculated into a medium containing Fe‐TPPS, V. vulnificus L‐180 multiplication was seen to be dependent on the concentration of the synthetic heme compound; a mutant lacking the ability to utilize protoheme did not multiply. Cells of the strain grown under the iron‐restricted condition showed time‐dependent uptake of Fe‐TPPS. The ability to use either protoheme or Fe‐TPPS was significantly reduced by the addition of an excess amount of free TPPS or Cu‐TPPS. The data suggest that, V. vulnificus may assimilate Fe‐TPPS, at least partially, through the same system as that for protoheme.