NIH R01 · 2024
Molecular basis of heme scavenging by Gram-positive bacteria
Project Summary Nearly all species of bacteria require iron to grow because it is an essential metal cofactor that is used by microbial enzymes to mediate cellular metabolism. During infections, bacterial pathogens forage iron from human hemoglobin (Hb) that is released from red blood cells, which contains ∼75–80% of the human body's total iron content in the form of heme (iron protoporphyrin IX). The basic science studies outlined in this proposal will determine how the human pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae acquires iron from Hb. This work will have a broad impact, as C. diphtheriae is a model organism within the Actinobacteria phylum, which contains several species of bacteria that…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.