Grant: Operating Grant

Iron is growth essential for almost all human pathogens and thus bacterial iron acquisition systems are recognized generally as virulence factors. Many of the protein components used to bind and transport iron and iron complexes such as heme, are external and thus are readily accessible for therapeutic purposes. This proposal focuses on investigation of the mechanisms employed by iron transport systems in a clinically important human pathogen: Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus causes debilitating and life threatening infections and the rapid spread of methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA, a so-called superbug) in both community and hospital settings, has accelerated the need for understanding this pathogen's virulence repertoire for the development of new therapeutic approaches. The iron transport system selected for study has components shown to be required for optimal growth under iron limitation and for colonization or pathogenesis in model animal systems. One protein, IsdB, is a component of a vaccine in clinical trials.