Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1981 May;32(2):609–613. doi: 10.1128/iai.32.2.609-613.1981

Effect of siderophores on virulence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

R A Finkelstein, R J Yancey
PMCID: PMC351490  PMID: 6454660

Abstract

The virulence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae for chicken embryos can be modified in a predictable manner by the addition of microbial siderophores to the inoculum. "Meningobactin" and "gonobactin," siderophores isolated from iron-limited cultures of meningococci and gonococci, respectively, enhance the virulence of the relatively avirulent colony type 3 (T3) organisms, but have essentially no effect on the virulence of T1 organisms. Both of these compounds were found previously to stimulate in vitro growth of the pathogenic Neisseria spp. under conditions made iron limiting by the addition of conalbumin, the transferrin counterpart of chickens. Similarly, ferrated schizokinen and arthrobactin, both dihydroxamate siderophores which stimulated growth in iron-limited conditions in vitro, also enhanced virulence of T3 organisms, whereas desferrioxamine B mesylate (Desferal), a trihydroxamate previously shown to be inhibitory in vitro, decreased the virulence of the T1 colony form. This was due to the iron-binding function of the molecule, as the iron-saturated form, ferrioxamine B mesylate, did not affect virulence. An additional trihydroxamate siderophore, ferrichrome A, which was inactive on Neisseria spp. in either the deferri- or ferrated forms in vitro, likewise did not affect virulence in the chicken embryo model. The neisserial siderophores were more effective than the other microbial siderophores in enhancing virulence of T3 gonococci. The results add to the evidence that the ability to acquire iron is an important determinant of virulence.

Full text

PDF
609

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bullen J. J., Rogers H. J., Griffiths E. Role of iron in bacterial infection. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1978;80:1–35. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-66956-9_1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bumgarner L. R., Finkelstein R. A. Pathogenesis and immunology of experimental gonococcal infection: virulence of colony types of Neisseria gonorrhoeae for chicken embryos. Infect Immun. 1973 Dec;8(6):919–924. doi: 10.1128/iai.8.6.919-924.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. FINKELSTEIN R. A. OBSERVATIONS ON MODE OF ACTION OF ENDOTOXIN IN CHICK EMBRYOS. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1964 Mar;115:702–707. doi: 10.3181/00379727-115-29012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. KELLOGG D. S., Jr, PEACOCK W. L., Jr, DEACON W. E., BROWN L., PIRKLE D. I. NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE. I. VIRULENCE GENETICALLY LINKED TO CLONAL VARIATION. J Bacteriol. 1963 Jun;85:1274–1279. doi: 10.1128/jb.85.6.1274-1279.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Payne S. M., Finkelstein R. A. Imferon agar: improved medium for isolation of pathogenic Neisseria. J Clin Microbiol. 1977 Sep;6(3):293–297. doi: 10.1128/jcm.6.3.293-297.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Payne S. M., Finkelstein R. A. The critical role of iron in host-bacterial interactions. J Clin Invest. 1978 Jun;61(6):1428–1440. doi: 10.1172/JCI109062. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Rogers H. J. Iron-Binding Catechols and Virulence in Escherichia coli. Infect Immun. 1973 Mar;7(3):445–456. doi: 10.1128/iai.7.3.445-456.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Weinberg E. D. Iron and infection. Microbiol Rev. 1978 Mar;42(1):45–66. doi: 10.1128/mr.42.1.45-66.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Yancey R. J., Breeding S. A., Lankford C. E. Enterochelin (enterobactin): virulence factor for Salmonella typhimurium. Infect Immun. 1979 Apr;24(1):174–180. doi: 10.1128/iai.24.1.174-180.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Yancey R. J., Finkelstein R. A. Assmilation of iron by pathogenic Neisseria spp. Infect Immun. 1981 May;32(2):592–599. doi: 10.1128/iai.32.2.592-599.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Yancey R. J., Finkelstein R. A. Siderophore production by pathogenic Neisseria spp. Infect Immun. 1981 May;32(2):600–608. doi: 10.1128/iai.32.2.600-608.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES