Iron Regulation Mechanisms in Bacterial Systems
Summary
Iron serves as an indispensable cofactor for a wide array of bacterial enzymes, yet its redox activity also poses a threat through the generation of reactive oxygen species. To reconcile these opposing demands, bacteria deploy a multilayered regulatory network that balances acquisition, utilisation and storage of iron. Central to transcriptional control is the ferric uptake regulator (Fur), which binds ferrous iron and represses genes encoding siderophore biosynthesis, TonB-dependent receptors and ABC transporters. When intracellular iron falls, Fur releases from its operator sites, activating uptake pathways and small RNAs that down-regulate non-essential iron-consuming proteins. Beyond Fur, bacteria employ alternative regulators—such as DtxR homologues, two-component systems and quorum-sensing circuits—to synchronise iron metabolism with respiration, carbon flux and virulence. Post-translational assembly of iron–sulfur clusters and controlled iron storage in ferritins further refine iron availability. Structural analyses of promoter architectures and periplasmic binding proteins have uncovered novel modes of metal sensing and transport. This elaborate regulatory web underpins bacterial survival in iron-limited environments, informs the development of antimicrobials that disrupt iron homeostasis and offers routes to harness siderophore pathways for biotechnology.
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Iron Regulation Mechanisms in Bacterial Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in iron regulation mechanisms in bacterial systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ferric uptake regulator (Fur): A metal-dependent transcriptional repressor that controls genes for iron acquisition and utilisation.
Siderophore: A small, high-affinity iron chelator secreted by bacteria to scavenge ferric iron from the environment.
Regulon: A collection of genes and operons regulated by a common transcription factor.
ChIP-seq: A genome-wide method to identify DNA binding sites of proteins by immunoprecipitation and sequencing.
ABC transporter: An ATP-binding cassette transporter that uses ATP hydrolysis to import or export substrates across the membrane.
References
- Revisiting Fur Regulon Leads to a Comprehensive Understanding of Iron and Fur Regulation. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- Transcriptional mapping and nucleotide sequence of the Escherichia coli fepA-fes enterobactin region. Identification of a unique iron-regulated bidirectional promoter.. Journal of Biological Chemistry (1988).
- A Plasmid-Encoded FetMP-Fls Iron Uptake System Confers Selective Advantages to Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium in Growth under Iron-Restricted Conditions and for Infection of Mammalian Host Cells. Microorganisms (2020).
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