Iron homeostasis and management of oxidative stress response in bacteria

Cornelis, P., Wei, Q., Andrews, S. C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4295-2686 and Vinckx, T. (2011) Iron homeostasis and management of oxidative stress response in bacteria. Metallomics: integrated biometal science, 3 (6). pp. 540-549. ISSN 1756-591X doi: 10.1039/C1MT00022E

Abstract/Summary

Iron is both an essential nutrient for the growth of microorganisms, as well as a dangerous metal due to its capacity to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the Fenton reaction. For these reasons, bacteria must tightly control the uptake and storage of iron in a manner that restricts the build-up of ROS. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that the control of iron homeostasis and responses to oxidative stress are coordinated. The mechanisms concerned with these processes, and the interactions involved, are the subject of this review.