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Iron Transport In Tuberculosis
Iron Transport In Tuberculosis
Public release date: 6-May-2008
Contact: Aisha Farhana
aishafarhana@gmail,com
Public Library of Science
Elucidating iron transport mechanisms in tuberculosis bug identifies
new TB drug targets
It is pathetically true that Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative
agent of TB is still thriving the test of scientific interventions
despite affecting almost one -third of the worlds’ population. The
fact that it takes approximately one human life every 15 second
somewhere in the world is an unfortunate death statistics unmatched by
any other microbe.
Researchers from India led by Professor Seyed E Hasnain of the
Institute of Life Sciences, at the University of Hyderabad, India have
worked out the mechanism of iron uptake system of Mycobacterium
tuberculosis, which is considered to be one of the important drug
targets.
Iron acquisition and regulation in intracellular pathogens especially
mycobacterium is a central survival mechanism working at the interface
of host-pathogen interactions and is, therefore, a promising target
for intervention. However, the bottleneck so far in targeting this
important survival strategy was the absence of understanding of the
mechanism of iron acquisition and transport in mycobacterium.
This research, appearing in the May 7 issue of the open-access journal
PLoS ONE, has accomplished this challenging task by employing various
in vitro and in vivo methods to elucidate how the bacterium that
causes TB can import iron from the cell where it lives. It is
important to know how the TB bacillus survives in the low iron
environment of the human host by making use of its unique iron
transport machinery. With this discovery of iron transport machinery
in mycobacterium, the field has been made open for targeting this
pathway for therapeutic interventions by development of new drugs.
The export of unbound small molecular weight high-affinity iron
binding molecules, siderophores, and the subsequent internalization of
their iron bound form is the center stage of TB bacilli survival
within the host. This report identifies that the two genes which were
previously believed as importers were indeed working, in coherence
with another binding protein, as an exporter-importer system. This
study further highlights that siderophores are actively exported
outside the mycobacterial cell and do not passively diffuse as
previously understood. These three actively interacting genes augment
the iron uptake and provide a feedback for export of only the non-iron
bound siderophores and exclusive import of the iron bound forms. The
authors of this study believe that the model that has emerged from
this study will be a boost to the global efforts to understand the
survival strategies of the pathogen and in the process provide a
crucial foothold to tame this one of the most deadly pathogen.
This report promises to contribute to the understanding of
mycobacterial adaptability and survival mechanisms in highly intricate
and fiercely competitive host environments and the role of iron
regulatory networks therein.
###
Contact:
Aisha Farhana
Email: aishafarhana@gmail,com
Citation: Farhana A, Kumar S, Rathore SS, Ghosh PC, Ehtesham NZ, et
al. (2008) Mechanistic Insights into a Novel Exporter-Importer System
of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Unravel Its Role in Trafficking of Iron.
PLoS ONE 3(5): e2087. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002087
PLEASE ADD THE LINK TO THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF
YOUR REPORT (URL live from May 7): http :// www .plosone.org/doi/pone.0002087
PRESS-ONLY PREVIEW: http :// www .plos.org/press/pone-03-05-hasnain.pdf
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer
The following press release refers to an upcoming article in PLoS ONE.
The release has been provided by the article authors and/or their
institutions. Any opinions expressed in this are the personal views of
the contributors, and do not necessarily represent the views or
policies of PLoS. PLoS expressly disclaims any and all warranties and
liability in connection with the information found in the release and
article and your use of such information.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Who loves ya.
Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http :// tinyurl,com /2r2nkh
Man Is A Herbivore!
http :// tinyurl,com /a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http :// tinyurl,com /zk9fk
Public release date: 6-May-2008
Contact: Aisha Farhana
aishafarhana@gmail,com
Public Library of Science
Elucidating iron transport mechanisms in tuberculosis bug identifies
new TB drug targets
It is pathetically true that Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative
agent of TB is still thriving the test of scientific interventions
despite affecting almost one -third of the worlds’ population. The
fact that it takes approximately one human life every 15 second
somewhere in the world is an unfortunate death statistics unmatched by
any other microbe.
Researchers from India led by Professor Seyed E Hasnain of the
Institute of Life Sciences, at the University of Hyderabad, India have
worked out the mechanism of iron uptake system of Mycobacterium
tuberculosis, which is considered to be one of the important drug
targets.
Iron acquisition and regulation in intracellular pathogens especially
mycobacterium is a central survival mechanism working at the interface
of host-pathogen interactions and is, therefore, a promising target
for intervention. However, the bottleneck so far in targeting this
important survival strategy was the absence of understanding of the
mechanism of iron acquisition and transport in mycobacterium.
This research, appearing in the May 7 issue of the open-access journal
PLoS ONE, has accomplished this challenging task by employing various
in vitro and in vivo methods to elucidate how the bacterium that
causes TB can import iron from the cell where it lives. It is
important to know how the TB bacillus survives in the low iron
environment of the human host by making use of its unique iron
transport machinery. With this discovery of iron transport machinery
in mycobacterium, the field has been made open for targeting this
pathway for therapeutic interventions by development of new drugs.
The export of unbound small molecular weight high-affinity iron
binding molecules, siderophores, and the subsequent internalization of
their iron bound form is the center stage of TB bacilli survival
within the host. This report identifies that the two genes which were
previously believed as importers were indeed working, in coherence
with another binding protein, as an exporter-importer system. This
study further highlights that siderophores are actively exported
outside the mycobacterial cell and do not passively diffuse as
previously understood. These three actively interacting genes augment
the iron uptake and provide a feedback for export of only the non-iron
bound siderophores and exclusive import of the iron bound forms. The
authors of this study believe that the model that has emerged from
this study will be a boost to the global efforts to understand the
survival strategies of the pathogen and in the process provide a
crucial foothold to tame this one of the most deadly pathogen.
This report promises to contribute to the understanding of
mycobacterial adaptability and survival mechanisms in highly intricate
and fiercely competitive host environments and the role of iron
regulatory networks therein.
###
Contact:
Aisha Farhana
Email: aishafarhana@gmail,com
Citation: Farhana A, Kumar S, Rathore SS, Ghosh PC, Ehtesham NZ, et
al. (2008) Mechanistic Insights into a Novel Exporter-Importer System
of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Unravel Its Role in Trafficking of Iron.
PLoS ONE 3(5): e2087. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002087
PLEASE ADD THE LINK TO THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF
YOUR REPORT (URL live from May 7): http :// www .plosone.org/doi/pone.0002087
PRESS-ONLY PREVIEW: http :// www .plos.org/press/pone-03-05-hasnain.pdf
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer
The following press release refers to an upcoming article in PLoS ONE.
The release has been provided by the article authors and/or their
institutions. Any opinions expressed in this are the personal views of
the contributors, and do not necessarily represent the views or
policies of PLoS. PLoS expressly disclaims any and all warranties and
liability in connection with the information found in the release and
article and your use of such information.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Who loves ya.
Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http :// tinyurl,com /2r2nkh
Man Is A Herbivore!
http :// tinyurl,com /a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http :// tinyurl,com /zk9fk
