Tai S S, Lee C J, Winter R E
Department of Microbiology, Howard University, Washington, D.C. 20059.
Infect Immun. 1993 Dec;61(12):5401-5. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.12.5401-5405.1993.
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a causative agent for bacterial pneumonia, otitis media, meningitis, and bacteremia. Mechanisms for acquisition of iron by this organism under low-iron conditions were investigated. Siderophore production was not detected by either chemical or biological methods. Its utilization of iron-containing compounds found in human hosts was tested. Both hemin and hemoglobin supported the full growth of S. pneumoniae in a culture lacking other iron sources, while lactoferrin and transferrin failed to do so. A mutant defective in hemin utilization was isolated and was less virulent than wild-type S. pneumoniae in experimental animals.
肺炎链球菌是细菌性肺炎、中耳炎、脑膜炎和菌血症的病原体。研究了该生物体在低铁条件下获取铁的机制。通过化学或生物学方法均未检测到铁载体的产生。测试了其对人类宿主中含铁化合物的利用情况。在缺乏其他铁源的培养物中,血红素和血红蛋白均支持肺炎链球菌的完全生长,而乳铁蛋白和转铁蛋白则不能。分离出一株血红素利用缺陷型突变体,在实验动物中其毒力低于野生型肺炎链球菌。