Modelling competition between the siderophore ferrioxamine B and humic like binding sites in seawater v1

Here we archive a protocol that can be used to determine competition between a siderophore (ferrioxamine B) and humic like binding sites that are present in marine DOM. We use the NICA-Donnan model to describe binding by humic like binding sites in DOM. Constants for Fe binding to marine DOM are taken from Zhu et al., (2021). Thermodynamic constants describing binding between major ions, iron and ferrioxamine B are taken from Schijf and Burns, (2016). References Schijf, J., Burns, S.M., 2016. Determination of the Side-Reaction Coefficient of Desferrioxamine B in Trace-Metal-Free Seawater. Front. Mar. Sci. 3, 117. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2016.00117 Zhu, K., Birchill, A.J., Milne, A., Ussher, S.J., Humphreys, M.P., Carr, N., Mahaffey, C., Lohan, M.C., Achterberg, E.P., Gledhill, M., 2021a. Equilbrium calculations of iron speciation and apparent iron solubility in the Celtic Sea at ambient pH using the NICA-Donnan model. Mar. Chem

Ternary structure of the outer membrane transporter FoxA with resolved signalling domain provides insights into TonB-mediated siderophore uptake

Many microbes and fungi acquire the essential ion Fe3+ through the synthesis and secretion of high-affinity chelators termed siderophores. In Gram-negative bacteria, these ferric-siderophore complexes are actively taken up using highly specific TonB-dependent transporters (TBDTs) located in the outer bacterial membrane (OM). However, the detailed mechanism of how the inner-membrane protein TonB connects to the transporters in the OM as well as the interplay between siderophore- and TonB-binding to the transporter is still poorly understood. Here, we present three crystal structures of the TBDT FoxA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (containing a signalling domain) in complex with the siderophore ferrioxamine B and TonB and combine them with a detailed analysis of binding constants. The structures show that both siderophore and TonB-binding is required to form a translocation-competent state of the FoxA transporter in a two-step TonB-binding mechanism. The complex structure also indicates how TonB-binding influences the orientation of the signalling domain.

Crystal structures of the outer membrane transporter FoxA provide novel insights into TonB-mediated siderophore uptake and signalling

Many microbes and fungi acquire the essential ion Fe3+ through the synthesis and secretion of high-affinity chelators termed siderophores. In Gram-negative bacteria, these ferric-siderophore complexes are actively taken up using highly specific TonB-dependent transporters (TBDTs) located in the outer bacterial membrane (OM). However, the detailed mechanism of how the inner-membrane protein TonB connects to the transporters in the OM as well as the interplay between siderophore- and TonB-binding to the transporter is still poorly understood. Here, we present three crystal structures of the TBDT FoxA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (containing a signalling domain) in complex with the siderophore ferrioxamine B and TonB and combine them with a detailed analysis of binding constants. The structures show that both siderophore and TonB-binding is required to form a translocation-competent state of the FoxA transporter in a two-step TonB-binding mechanism. The complex structure also indicates how TonB-binding influences the orientation of the signalling domain.

Fungus-Growing Ant's Microbial Interaction of Streptomyces sp. and Escovopsis sp. through Molecular Networking and MALDI Imaging

Microbes associated with fungus-growing ants represent a poorly explored source of natural products. In this study, we used mass spectrometry-based dereplication techniques for identifying a set of secondary metabolites produced during the microbial interaction between Streptomyces sp. (CB0028) and Escovopsis sp. (CBAcro424). Both microorganisms were isolated from the nest of the fungus-growing ant Acromyrmex echinatior. Through MALDI imaging and MS/MS molecular networking, we annotated the siderophores: desferrioxamine B (1), ferrioxamine B (2), ferrioxamine E (3) and the N-formylated peptide SCO-2138/SLI-2138 (4). MALDI imaging experiments suggest that siderophores occurred during the microbial interactions in the fungus-growing ants – microbes symbioses. This is the first report on the production of compounds 1-4 by bacteria associated with fungus-growing ants.

Desferrioxamine biosynthesis: diverse hydroxamate assembly by substrate-tolerant acyl transferase DesC

Hydroxamate groups play key roles in the biological function of diverse natural products. Important examples include trichostatin A, which inhibits histone deacetylases via coordination of the active site zinc(II) ion with a hydroxamate group, and the desferrioxamines, which use three hydroxamate groups to chelate ferric iron. Desferrioxamine biosynthesis in Streptomyces species involves the DesD-catalysed condensation of various N -acylated derivatives of N -hydroxycadaverine with two molecules of N -succinyl- N -hydroxycadaverine to form a range of linear and macrocyclic tris-hydroxamates. However, the mechanism for assembly of the various N -acyl- N -hydroxycadaverine substrates of DesD from N -hydroxycadaverine has until now been unclear. Here we show that the desC gene of Streptomyces coelicolor encodes the acyl transferase responsible for this process. DesC catalyses the N -acylation of N -hydroxycadaverine with acetyl, succinyl and myristoyl-CoA, accounting for the diverse array of desferrioxamines produced by S. coelicolor . The X-ray crystal structure of DesE, the ferrioxamine lipoprotein receptor, in complex with ferrioxamine B (which is derived from two units of N -succinyl- N -hydroxycadaverine and one of N -acetyl- N -hydroxycadaverine) was also determined. This showed that the acetyl group of ferrioxamine B is solvent exposed, suggesting that the corresponding acyl group in longer chain congeners can protrude from the binding pocket, providing insights into their likely function. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Frontiers in epigenetic chemical biology'. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Frontiers in epigenetic chemical biology’.

Identification of ferrichrome- and ferrioxamine B-mediated iron uptake by Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic fungal pathogen for immunocompromised patients, and genes involved in siderophore metabolism have been identified as virulence factors. Recently, we identified the membrane transporters sit1 and sit2, which are putative virulence factors of A. fumigatus; sit1 and sit2 are homologous to yeast Sit1, and sit1 and sit2 gene expression was up-regulated after iron depletion. When expressed heterologously in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, sit1 and sit2 were localized to the plasma membrane; sit1 efficiently complemented ferrichrome (FC) and ferrioxamine B (FOB) uptake in yeast cells, whereas sit2 complemented only FC uptake. Deletion of sit1 resulted in a decrease in FOB and FC uptake, and deletion of sit2 resulted in a decrease in FC uptake in A. fumigatus. It is of interest that a sit1 and sit2 double-deletion mutant resulted in a synergistic decrease in FC uptake activity. Both sit1 and sit2 were localized to the plasma membrane in A. fumigatus. The expression levels of the sit1 and sit2 genes were dependent on hapX under low-but not high-iron conditions. Furthermore, mirB, and sidA gene expression was up-regulated and sreA expression down-regulated when sit1 and sit2 were deleted. Although sit1 and sit2 failed to affect mouse survival rate, these genes affected conidial killing activity. Taken together, our results suggest that sit1 and sit2 are siderophore transporters and putative virulence factors localized to the plasma membrane.