Fig. 4.

The summary of the effect of iron chelation on SHK-1 cells infected with P. salmonis. SHK-1 and P. salmonis cells grow using L-15 medium supplemented with 1xFBS as an iron source. Under these conditions, P. salmonis is able to activate virulence programs and effectively infect salmon cells. Limited access to iron by using iron chelator deferoxamine mesylate (DFO) impairs ability of bacteria to grow in the medium. The declining population of bacteria that managed the iron deprivation challenge must still face the host immune response. The DFO-mediated reduction in the number of P. salmonis cells allows for a stronger activation of protective host responses. This, in turn, further contributes to the clearance of bacterial cells