Surface protein IsdC and Sortase B are required for heme-iron scavenging of Bacillus anthracis

J Bacteriol. 2006 Dec;188(23):8145-52. doi: 10.1128/JB.01011-06. Epub 2006 Sep 29.

Abstract

Bacillus anthracis, the spore-forming agent of anthrax, requires iron for growth and is capable of scavenging heme-iron during infection. We show here that the B. anthracis iron-regulated surface determinants (isd) locus encompasses isdC, specifying a heme-iron binding surface protein. Anchoring of IsdC to the cell wall envelopes of vegetative bacilli requires srtB, which encodes sortase B. Purified sortase B cleaves IsdC between the threonine and the glycine of its NPKTG motif sorting signal. B. anthracis variants lacking either isdC or srtB display defects in heme-iron scavenging, suggesting that IsdC binding to heme-iron in the cell wall envelope contributes to bacterial uptake of heme.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Aminoacyltransferases / physiology*
  • Bacillus anthracis / genetics
  • Bacillus anthracis / metabolism*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Bacterial Proteins / physiology*
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Carrier Proteins / physiology*
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases / physiology*
  • Heme / metabolism*
  • Iron / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptidoglycan / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Peptidoglycan
  • sortase B
  • Heme
  • Iron
  • Aminoacyltransferases
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases