Metallobiology of host–pathogen interactions: an intoxicating new insight
Abstract
Iron, zinc and copper, among others, are transition metals with multiple biological roles that make them essential elements for life. Beyond the strict requirement of transition metals by the vertebrate immune system for its proper functioning, novel mechanisms involving direct metal intoxication of microorganisms are starting to be unveiled as important components of the immune system, in particular against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In parallel, metal detoxification systems in bacteria have been recently characterized as crucial microbial virulence determinants. Here, we will focus on these exciting advancements implicating copper- and zinc-mediated microbial poisoning as a novel innate immune mechanism against microbial pathogens, shedding light on an emerging field in the metallobiology of host-pathogen interactions.
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Microbes need metals such as iron, zinc, copper, or manganese for important metabolic processes, pathogen proliferation, or as central components for defenses against host-mediated radical formation.
“On one hand, microbes need metals such as iron, zinc, copper, or manganese for important metabolic processes, pathogen proliferation, or as central components for defenses against host-mediated radical formation (160, 161).”
From Macrophage defense mechanisms against intracellular bacteria (2015) · cites this paper as [160]
M. tuberculosis expresses mycobacterial copper transport protein B (MctB) and ATPase CtpV, which play an important role for pathogen proliferation by avoiding copper intoxication within the phagolysosome and maintaining low copper levels.
“On the other hand, M. tuberculosis expresses the mycobacterial copper transport protein B (MctB) and the ATPase CtpV, which play an important role for pathogen proliferation by avoiding copper intoxication within the phagolysome and maintaining low copper levels in this environment (160, 237–239).”
From Macrophage defense mechanisms against intracellular bacteria (2015) · cites this paper as [160]
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- Authors
- Botella, H., Stadthagen, G., Lugo-Villarino, G., de Chastellier, C., & Neyrolles, O.
- Affiliations
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Neyrolles, Olivier
- ORCID
- Neyrolles, Olivier
- Venue
- Trends in Microbiology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-03
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 106-112
- ISSN
- 0966-842X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2072416701
- Cited by
- 111
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 1.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Trends in Microbiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
- Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Trace Elements in Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune Response and Inflammation
- Keywords
- host-pathogen interaction, metal toxicity, copper, zinc, iron, innate immunity, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, bacterial virulence, transition metals
- MeSH terms
- Bacterial Proteins, Copper, Humans, Iron, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Tuberculosis, Cation Transport Proteins, Host-Pathogen Interactions
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