Cited by 51Iron Metabolism and DisordersTuberculosis Research and EpidemiologyBacterial Genetics and Biotechnology

Iron in intracellular infection: to provide or to deprive?

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Silva-Gomes, Sandro, Vale-Costa, Sílvia, Appelberg, Rui, Gomes, Maria S.·2013·Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

Abstract

Due to their chemical versatility, transition metals were incorporated as cofactors for several basic metabolic pathways in living organisms. This same characteristic makes them potentially harmful, since they can be engaged in deleterious reactions like Fenton chemistry. As such, organisms have evolved highly specialized mechanisms to supply their own metal needs while keeping their toxic potential in check. This dual character comes into play in host-pathogen interactions, given that the host can either deprive the pathogen of these key nutrients or exploit them to induce toxicity toward the invading agent. Iron stands as the prototypic example of how a metal can be used to limit the growth of pathogens by nutrient deprivation, a mechanism widely studied in Mycobacterium infections. However, the host can also take advantage of iron-induced toxicity to control pathogen proliferation, as observed in infections caused by Leishmania. Whether we may harness either of the two pathways for therapeutical purposes is still ill-defined. In this review, we discuss how modulation of the host iron availability impacts the course of infections, focusing on those caused by two relevant intracellular pathogens, Mycobacterium and Leishmania.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fcimb.2013.00096

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  • Subjects with HFE-related hereditary hemochromatosis are more susceptible to infections with Yersinia spp. or Vibrio spp., but appear protected from infection with M. tuberculosis and S. typhimurium.

    “While subjects with HFE-related HH are more susceptible to infections with pathogens such as Yersinia spp. or Vibrio spp., they appear to be protected from infection with the intracellular bacteria M. tuberculosis and S. typhimurium (161, 202).”

    From Macrophage defense mechanisms against intracellular bacteria (2015) · cites this paper as [202]

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Authors
Silva-Gomes, S., Vale-Costa, S., Appelberg, R., & Gomes, M. S.
Affiliations
Universidade do Porto (PT)
Corresponding author
  • Vale-Costa, Sílvia
  • Appelberg, Rui
  • Gomes, Maria S.
Venue
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
Published
2013
Volume
3
Pages
96-96
ISSN
2235-2988 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2057854777
Cited by
51
References
154
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 5
FWCI
0.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000002-Host-Pathogen Interactions)
  • European Regional Development Fund (-000002)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Iron Metabolism and Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
Keywords
iron metabolism, host-pathogen interaction, intracellular pathogens, mycobacterial infection, Leishmania infection, iron starvation, Fenton reaction, host-directed therapy
MeSH terms
Cytosol, Homeostasis, Iron, Leishmania, Mycobacterium, Host-Pathogen Interactions

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