Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Sub-Department
College of Arts and Sciences
First Advisor
F. Wayne Outten
Abstract
Iron metabolism is an integral part of life for most organisms. Despite its essentiality, iron can also become toxic. There are many aspects to maintaining iron balance within the cell. The aim of this work is to provide insight into the function of several components involved in bacterial iron homeostasis. This work is significant for the development of novel antibiotics for treating resistant or pathogenic bacteria. Herein, it is shown that nickel can disrupt normal bacterial iron metabolism and that bacterial resistance can be affected by expression of iron acquisition genes. Once iron is obtained by the cell, it can be used to synthesize iron-sulfur clusters which are incorporated into many metalloenzymes. The shuttling of iron-sulfur clusters is carried out by A-Type carrier proteins and glutaredoxins. This important step is required for bacterial cell survival and provides another novel target for the development of drug treatment options.
Rights
© 2018, Clorissa L. Washington – Hughes
Recommended Citation
Washington – Hughes, C. L.(2018). Iron Transport Machinery: A Potential Therapeutic Target In Escherichia Coli. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/4885