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Title: BHUR, A VIRULENCE-ASSOCIATED OUTER MEMBRANE PROTEIN OF BORDETELLA AVIUM, IS REQUIRED FOR THE ACQUISITION OF IRON FROM HEME AND HEMOPROTEINS

Author
item MURPHY, ERIN - UNIV. OF BUFFALO, NY
item Sacco, Randy
item DICKENSON, AMY - UNIV. OF BUFFALO, NY
item METZGER, DANIEL - UNIV. OF BUFFALO, NY
item HU, YAN - UNIV. OF BUFFALO, NY
item ORNDORFF, PAUL - NC STATE UNIV., RALEIGH
item CONNELL, TERRY - UNIV. OF BUFFALO, NY

Submitted to: Infection and Immunity
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/24/2002
Publication Date: 10/20/2002
Citation: MURPHY, E.R., SACCO, R.E., DICKENSON, A., METZGER, D.J., HU, Y., ORNDORFF, P.E., CONNELL, T.D. BHUR, A VIRULENCE-ASSOCIATED OUTER MEMBRANE PROTEIN OF BORDETELLA AVIUM, IS REQUIRED FOR THE ACQUISITION OF IRON FROM HEME AND HEMOPROTEINS. INFECTION AND IMMUNITY. 2002. v. 70(10). p. 5390-5403.

Interpretive Summary: Iron (Fe) is an essential element for most organisms. To acquire this fundamental element, organisms have evolved a variety of uptake systems that are specific for their environment. In the case of pathogenic bacteria, systems have evolved to acquire Fe from the fluids and tissues of an infected animal host. Bordetella avium is the causative agent of coryza, an avian upper respiratory disease. Six genes likely involved in the acquisition and utilization of Fe by B. avium have been identified. Expression of these genes in B. avium is shown to be essential for acquiring Fe. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that this use is important during the course of B. avium infection within the natural host.

Technical Abstract: Iron (Fe) is an essential element for most organisms. To acquire this fundamental element, organisms have evolved a variety of uptake systems that are specific for their microenvironment. In the case of pathogenic bacteria, systems have evolved to acquire Fe from the fluids and tissues of an infected animal host. One of the most abundant sources of organic Fe found within animals is heme. Bordetella avium, a gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of coryza, an avian upper respiratory disease which has many similarities to whooping cough, an upper respiratory disease of humans caused by B. pertussis. A B. avium heme utilization locus has been identified and shown to contain six genes likely involved in the acquisition and utilization of hemin and hemoproteins as sources of Fe. The heme utilization locus includes bhuR, a gene encoding for a putative outer membrane heme receptor. Expression of bhuR in B. avium has been shown to be essential for efficient utilization of hemin as a source of nutritional Fe as well as for the transport of heme into the bacterial cell. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that BhuR dependent heme utilization is an important virulence determinant during the course of a B. avium infection within the natural host.