Iron in Infection and Immunity
Cell Host & Microbe
Volume 13, Issue 5, 15 May 2013, Pages 509–519
James E. Cassat1, Eric P. Skaar2
1 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases,
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37237, USA
2 Department of Pathology, Microbiology, & Immunology, Vanderbilt
University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
Iron is an essential nutrient for both humans and pathogenic microbes.
Because of its ability to exist in one of two oxidation states, iron
is an ideal redox catalyst for diverse cellular processes including
respiration and DNA replication.
However, the redox potential of iron also contributes to its toxicity;
thus, iron concentration and distribution must be carefully
controlled.
Given the absolute requirement for iron by virtually all human
pathogens, an important facet of the innate immune system is to limit
iron availability to invading microbes in a process termed nutritional
immunity.
Successful human pathogens must therefore possess mechanisms to
circumvent nutritional immunity in order to cause disease.
In this review, we discuss regulation of iron metabolism in the
setting of infection and delineate strategies used by human pathogens
to overcome iron-withholding defenses.
Available online 15 May 2013
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2013.04.010
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1931312813001522
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