Regulation of Iron-Uptake Systems in Vibrio Vulnificus, a Ferrophilic Bacterium
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Review Article Med Biol Sci Eng 2021;4(2):69-82 https://doi.org/10.30579/mbse.2021.4.2.69 pISSN 2586-5188ㆍeISSN 2586-5196 Regulation of iron-uptake systems in Vibrio vulnificus, a ferrophilic bacterium Sung-Heui Shin Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea Received March 22, 2021 Vibrio vulnificus is a gram-negative ferrophilic bacterium that causes necrotizing wound infec- Revised April 14, 2021 tions and fatal septicemia, which mainly occur in patients with elevated levels of iron in serum or Accepted May 4, 2021 tissue, despite the presence of well-developed bacterial multiple iron-uptake systems (IUSs). These IUSs play important roles in the pathogenesis of V. vulnificus infections and are primar- Corresponding author ily regulated at the transcriptional level by a ferric uptake regulator called Fur responding to iron Sung-Heui Shin availability and their own specific regulators. Recent studies have shown that the IUSs are also Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Chosun controlled by other global regulators, including cyclic AMP-receptor protein responding to carbon University, 309 Pilmin-daero, availability and SmcR, a master regulator of the quorum-sensing system responding to bacterial Dong-gu, Gwangju 61452, Korea density. This review presents an update on this sophisticated regulation of IUSs in V. vulnificus. Tel: +82-62-230-6352 Fax: +82-62-608-5314 Keywords: Vibrio vulnificus; Iron; Quorum sensing; Ferric uptake regulator; cAMP-receptor pro- E-mail: [email protected] tein ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0688-4161 INTRODUCTION living things is very low. The human body contains 3-5 g of Fe, most of which is intracellular. The majority of Fe in Iron (Fe) is the fourth most abundant metal on Earth the body is present as hemoglobin in erythrocytes. Extra- and is an essential ingredient for all living things, includ- cellular Fe is rapidly removed by high-affinity Fe-binding ing bacteria. However, bacteria must be able to acquire proteins, such as transferrin, ferritin, and lactoferrin [1-3]. Fe to settle, proliferate, and cause infections in their hosts, Thus, a normal human body contains a very low concentra- and therefore, many pathogenic bacteria have their own tion of free Fe and is an Fe-deficient environment. This low well-developed iron-uptake systems (IUSs). The activity of Fe-availability is considered an innate defense mechanism IUSs has long been recognized as being closely related to the called “innate nutritional immunity”, which helps in sup- virulence of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, IUSs have been pressing the growth of pathogenic bacteria [2]. However, the considered a target in the development of vaccines or new concentration of easily available Fe as well as the degree of therapeutic modalities [1-3]. Fe saturation of transferrin or lactoferrin can be increased, Fe is quickly oxidized to an insoluble form in an environ- thereby allowing pathogenic bacteria to grow in many ment where oxygen is present at neutral pH. Therefore, the pathological conditions, such as liver diseases, hemosidero- concentration of soluble Fe that is easily available to most sis, as well as during transfusions and chemotherapy [1-3]. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non- commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Copyright ⓒ Medical Biological Science and Engineering. 69 Sung-Heui Shin: Regulation of iron-uptake systems in Vibrio vulnificus Bacteria have adapted to Fe-deficient environments, de- known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of V. veloping their own unique IUSs that can efficiently absorb vulnificus infections [23]. First, an elevated Fe concentration environmental Fe present at low concentrations. Generally, is directly related to host sensitivity to V. vulnificus [21,22]. bacterial IUSs can be divided into three types. First, several In a mouse experimental model, the 50% lethal dose was bacterial species can obtain Fe by expressing specific re- significantly reduced by exogenous Fe administration [24, ceptors that directly bind to Fe-withholding proteins such 25]. These Fe-overloaded mice are used as the most sus- as hemoglobin, transferrin, and lactoferrin [4]. For instance, ceptible experimental animal for V. vulnificus infection. Neisseria and Haemophilus species express receptors that Second, an elevated Fe concentration promotes the produc- are unique only to human transferrin and lactoferrin. Other tion of exotoxins from V. vulnificus, and the production of bacterial species can acquire Fe by directly binding to heme hemolysin and metalloproteinase is increased in response proteins such as hemin and hemoglobin by expressing to iron concentration [26,27]. Third, V. vulnificus is a ferro- receptors specific to heme [5-7]. Second, most bacteria, philic or Fe-sensitive bacterium that requires higher levels except Neisseria or Haemophilus, can produce small mol- of soluble Fe for growth than other pathogenic bacteria do ecules (600-1,500 kDa), called siderophores, with a high [28,29]. The reason for this ferrophilic characteristic is the affinity for Fe. Most siderophores have a higher affinity for low activity of V. vulnificus well-equipped and versatile IUSs Fe than Fe-withholding proteins such as transferrin or lac- [30]. For example, although V. vulnificus produces several toferrin so that they can deprive these proteins of Fe. The siderophores, the amount produced is very low compared to siderophore-Fe complexes are again absorbed through spe- those produced by other pathogenic bacteria. cific receptors. Many bacteria produce one or more sidero- phores [8,9]. Third, some bacteria can also use xenosidero- IUSs IN V. vulnificus phores (also called heterologous or exogenous siderophores) produced by other bacteria or fungi [10-15] through the Vulnibactin-mediated IUS phenomenon called “siderophore piracy”. This siderophore V. vulnificus produces a siderophore called vulnibactin piracy may play an important role in the survival and prolif- that has a very high affinity for Fe and is structurally classi- eration of pathogenic bacteria especially in mixed bacterial fied as catechol or phenolate siderophore [31,32]. Virulent V. environments. vulnificus strains generally produce vulnibactin and use Fe Fe is an essential substance for efficient energy produc- bound to transferrin, but less virulent or avirulent V. vulnifi- tion in bacterial cells. Therefore, the amount of Fe required cus strains do not produce vulnibactin and are unable to use by bacteria is closely related to the metabolic activity in transferrin-bound Fe [33]. Besides vulnibactin, other sidero- bacterial cells. The more active the metabolism, the more phores are known to be produced, but vulnibactin has the Fe is required to support efficient energy production. How- greatest effect on the growth of V. vulnificus in Fe-deficient ever, excessive Fe can be toxic because this can promote environments [34]. free radical formation within bacterial cells. Therefore, the Genes involved in the production of vulnibactin were first expression of IUSs in bacterial cells must be thoroughly and discovered in the ven operon [35]. The venB gene shows sensitively controlled [16]. 41% homology at the amino acid level with and the Esch- erichia coli entB gene, which encodes isochorismatase, A FERROPHILIC BACTERIUM Vibrio and this enzyme is required for the synthesis of a precursor vulnificus (2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid) of enterobactin, a catechol siderophore produced by E. coli. V. vulnificus containing a Vibrio vulnificus is an opportunistic pathogen that can mutation in venB can neither produce vulnibactin nor use cause necrotizing fasciitis or fatal sepsis mainly in patients Fe bound to transferrin, resulting in the weakened virulence. with underlying diseases such as alcoholic hepatitis, cirrho- The vis gene encoding vulnibactin-specific isochorismate sis, and hemosiderosis [17-20]. Most of these patients have synthase is also involved in the synthesis of vulnibactin as a elevated serum Fe concentrations [21,22]. Fe has long been mutation in this gene prevents the production of vulnibactin 70 www.embse.org Med Biol Sci Eng Vol. 4, No. 2, 2021 and the use of Fe bound to transferrin [36,37]. In addition, abolishes the ability of V. vulnificus to use desferrioxamine vvsAB, which encodes a member of the nonribosomal pep- and inhibits the growth of V. vulnificus in the presence of tide synthase, is also required for the biosynthesis of vulni- desferrioxamine. This DesA-mediated IUS is widespread in bactin, and a mutation in either vvsA or vvsB decreases the clinical or environmental isolates of V. vulnificus [15]. production of vulnibactin in V. vulnificus [38]. These show V. vulnificus can also use another xenosiderophore called that various enzymes are required for the synthesis of vulni- aerobactin, which is produced by E. coli, via the cognate bactin and that vulnibactin has a higher affinity for Fe than receptor IutA, an outer membrane protein of 76 kDa [13]. A transferrin. Thus, V. vulnificus can use Fe bound to transfer- mutation in iutA abolishes the ability of V. vulnificus to uti- rin through vulnibactin. lize aerobactin for Fe acquisition and can inhibit the growth Extracellular vulnibactin binds Fe to form the Fe-vul- of V. vulnificus in the presence of aerobactin. nibactin complex, which is then absorbed via its cognate Fe-aerobactin or Fe-desferrioxamine is transported into specific receptor, VuuA, located on the outer membrane the cytoplasm by an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transport of V. vulnificus. The 72 kDa VuuA receptor is encoded by system containing VatB, VatD, and VatB. The vatC, vatD, vuuA, and a mutation in vuuA prevents the internalization and vatB genes encode an ATP-binding protein, a periplas- of Fe-vulnibactin into the cytoplasm and inhibits the ability mic binding protein, and an inner membrane permease, re- of V. vulnificus to use Fe bound to transferrin to grow [39].