S. Miyoshi et al., The ability of Vibrio vulnificus to use a synthetic hydrophilic heme compound, Fe-TPPS, as a single iron source, FEMS MICROB, 172(1), 1999, pp. 73-77
Vibrio vulnificus, an opportunistic human pathogen, can obtain iron from a
variety of heme proteins. This process involves the digestion of heme prote
ins by an exoprotease to liberate protoheme (iron-protoporphyrin IX). In th
e present study, we tested whether this pathogen also uses a synthetic heme
compound, Fe-alpha,beta,gamma,delta-tetraphenylporphine tetrasulfonic acid
(Fe-TPPS), as an iron source. When inoculated into a medium containing Fe-
TPPS, V. vulnificus L-180 multiplication was seen to be dependent on the co
ncentration of the synthetic heme compound; a mutant lacking the ability to
utilize protoheme did not multiply. Cells of the strain grown under the ir
on-restricted condition showed time-dependent uptake of Fe-TPPS. The abilit
y to use either protoheme or Fe-TPPS was significantly reduced by the addit
ion of an excess amount of free TPPS or Cu-TPPS. The data suggest that, V.
vulnificus may assimilate Fe-TPPS, at least partially, through the same sys
tem as that for protoheme. (C) 1999 Federation of European Microbiological
Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.