Environmental Heme Utilization by Heme-Auxotrophic Bacteria

• Published in: Advances in Microbial Physiology Vol. 61; pp. 69 - 124
• Main Authors: Gruss, Alexandra, Borezée-Durant, Elise, Lechardeur, Delphine
• Format: Book Chapter Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Science & Technology 2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agricultural sciences; Animals; Autotrophic Processes; auxotrophy; bacteria; Bacteria - enzymology; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - metabolism; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; blood; Heme; Heme - biosynthesis; Heme - metabolism; Humans; Life Sciences; porphyrin; Porphyrins - metabolism; auxotrophy; porphyrin; bacteria; blood; Heme; SMALL-COLONY VARIANTS; HUMAN-SERUM-ALBUMIN; CYTOCHROME-C BIOGENESIS; INFLUENZAE TYPE-B; PORPHYROMONAS-GINGIVALIS HMUY; CELL-SURFACE PROTEIN; LYSINE-SPECIFIC GINGIPAIN; GROUP-B STREPTOCOCCUS; STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS; LACTIC-ACBACTERIA
• ISBN: 9780123944238; 0123944236
• ISSN: 0065-2911; 2162-5468
• DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-394423-8.00003-2

Heme, an iron-containing porphyrin, is the prosthetic group for numerous key cellular enzymatic and regulatory processes. Many bacteria encode the biosynthetic enzymes needed for autonomous heme production. Remarkably, however, numerous other bacteria lack a complete heme biosynthesis pathway, yet encode heme-requiring functions. For such heme-auxotrophic bacteria (HAB), heme or porphyrins must be captured from the environment. Functional studies, aided by genomic analyses, provide insight into the HAB lifestyle, how they acquire and manage heme, and the uses of heme that make it worthwhile, and sometimes necessary, to capture this bioactive molecule.