Identification, characterization, and functional analysis of a gene encoding the ferric uptake regulation protein in Bartonella species

Environmental iron concentrations coordinately regulate transcription of ge nes involved in iron acquisition and virulence via the ferric uptake regula tion (fur) system. We identified and sequenced the fur gene and flanking re gions of three Bartonella species. The most notable difference between Bart onella Fur and other Fur proteins was a substantially higher predicted isoe lectric point. No promoter activity or Fur autoregulation was detected usin g a gfp reporter gene fused to the 204 nucleotides immediately upstream of the Bartonella fur gene. Bartonella henselae fur gene expression complement ed a Vibrio cholerae fur mutant.