New way to a disabling disease: block access of iron bacteria in the body

New way to a disabling disease: block access of iron bacteria in the body -

In an era of growing concern about the prevalence of resistant disease antibiotics, Case Western Reserve researchers. identified a new promising way to a disabling disease: block access of iron bacteria in the body

scientists have shown how bacterial siderophore, a small molecule, iron uptake from two abundant sources supply fan bacterial growth - as well as how the body initiates a chemical counterassault against this infection process. Their findings appear in a recent edition of The Journal of Experimental Medicine .

"bacterial siderophore will be an important therapeutic target for one day because it can be modified to prevent bacteria to acquire iron, but at the same time, it is possible to maintain access to host iron, "said lead author Laxminarayana Devireddy, DVM, PhD, Assistant Professor of pathology, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center.

investigators knew from the start that bacterial siderophore uptake of iron from the host mammal and transformed so that bacteria can absorb and metabolize the mineral. In this survey, Devireddy and his colleagues discovered that human mitochondria, which resemble very closely the bacteria have their own iron-acquisition mechanisms - mitochondrial siderophore. Mammalian mitochondria are membrane subunits enclosed in the cells which produce most of the energy of the cell, and as their bacterial counterparts, mammalian mitochondria have their own siderophore mechanism research, and provides catches iron for use.

A test tube level, the investigators found that the bacteria can feed on iron provided by bacterial siderophore and siderophore mitochondrial. From this overabundance of iron, bacteria proliferate and do very sick mammalian host with an infection.

"It is like the bacteria can use their own capture mechanisms or iron. It does not matter, host" Devireddy said. "They are very good to use siderophores both sources of bacterial siderophores and mammals. This means that the bacteria get more iron."

Researchers at Case Western Reserve also showed that the absence of mitochondrial siderophore in a mammal can improve its ability to resist infection. When investigators exposed mice deficient mitochondrial siderophore to systemic infection E. coli , the animals resisted infection. The reason? E. coli bacteria had less access iron from siderophores mitochondrial deficient mice.

Furthermore, mammals are not totally defenseless of a bacterial siderophore raid on supplies of mitochondrial iron. In another phase of their investigation, the scientists found that normal mice secrete 24p3 ​​lipocalin protein isolates and removes bacterial siderophore synthesis of siderophores mammals.

"The lipocalin action significantly reduces mouse mortality of E. coli infection, and some actually recovered mouse" Devireddy said. "This kind of delay in bacterial growth gave the time of the immune system to identify and neutralize the microbe."

These results highlight the potential for developing effective therapies to reverse a bacterial infection.

"Any approach to eliminate bacterial siderophore either activate or mitochondrial and lipocalin-2 infection would likely slow, allowing the immune system of the host to respond," Devireddy said. "These new approaches could also provide a much needed alternative to treat these infections that have become resistant antibiotics."