Peroxide Stress Elicits Adaptive Changes in Bacterial Metal Ion Homeostasis
Open accessAbstract
Exposure to hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and other reactive oxygen species is a universal feature of life in an aerobic environment. Bacteria express enzymes to detoxify H 2 O 2 and to repair the resulting damage, and their synthesis is typically regulated by redox-sensing transcription factors. The best characterized bacterial peroxide-sensors are Escherichia coli OxyR and Bacillus subtilis PerR. Analysis of their regulons has revealed that, in addition to inducible detoxification enzymes, adaptation to H 2 O 2 is mediated by modifications of metal ion homeostasis. Analogous adaptations appear to be present in other bacteria as here reviewed for Deinococcus radiodurans , Neisseria gonorrhoeae , Streptococcus pyogenes , and Bradyrhizobium japonicum. As a general theme, peroxide stress elicits changes in cytosolic metal distribution with the net effect of reducing the damage caused by reactive ferrous iron. Iron levels are reduced by repression of uptake, sequestration in storage proteins, and incorporation into metalloenzymes. In addition, peroxide-inducible transporters elevate cytosolic levels of Mn(II) and/or Zn(II) that can displace ferrous iron from sensitive targets. Although bacteria differ significantly in the detailed mechanisms employed to modulate cytosolic metal levels, a high Mn:Fe ratio has emerged as one key correlate of reactive oxygen species resistance. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 15, 175–189.
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E. coli is iron-centric and Mn2+ import is specifically induced as a response to oxidative stress.
“E. coli falls in this category and Mn2+ import is specifically induced as a response to oxidative stress.89,90”
From Metals in Motion: Understanding Labile Metal Pools in Bacteria (2025) · cites this paper as [90]
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- Authors
- Faulkner, M. J., & Helmann, J. D.
- Affiliations
- Cornell University (US)
- Venue
- Antioxidants & Redox Signaling
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2011-07
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 175-189
- ISSN
- 1523-0864 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-7716
- PMC
- PMC3110094
- OpenAlex
- W2031525739
- Cited by
- 151
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 1.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Antioxidants and Redox Signaling (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1020481)
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (GM059323, R01GM059323)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Redox biology and oxidative stress
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Inorganic Chemistry › Metal-Catalyzed Oxygenation Mechanisms
- Keywords
- hydrogen peroxide stress, hydrogen peroxide, reactive oxygen species, OxyR, PerR, iron regulation, manganese, zinc, metalloenzymes, metal sequestration, oxidative stress adaptation, Deinococcus radiodurans, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bradyrhizobium japonicum
- MeSH terms
- Bacteria, Bacterial Proteins, Hydrogen Peroxide, Iron, Models, Biological, Oxidation-Reduction
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