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OBLIGATE IRON. "Iron is a vital nutrient for virtually all forms of life. The requirement for iron is based on its role in cellular processes ranging from energy generation and DNA replication to oxygen transport and protection against oxidative stress. Bacterial pathogens are not exempt from this iron requirement, as these organisms must acquire iron within their vertebrate hosts in order to replicate and cause disease." https://lnkd.in/epJAeXg View in LinkedIn

BLOOD IRON during a mock infection in humans drops very significantly in the first 24 hours, while hepticidin, an acute-phase protein, and inflammatory cytokines, react by sharply increasing in the same timeframe. Lovely time course charts. https://lnkd.in/eyMxbBN View in LinkedIn

CYTOKINE SPIKE. "Anemia of chronic disease is immune driven; cytokines and cells of the reticuloendothelial system induce changes in iron homeostasis, the proliferation of erythroid progenitor cells, the production of erythropoietin, and the life span of red cells, all of which contribute to the pathogenesis of anemia." https://lnkd.in/eR97PqF View in LinkedIn

IRON ACQUISITION AND VIRULENCE. "Many organisms can produce small molecular-weight iron-binding compounds called siderophores that can successfully utilize the iron sequestered by the transferrins. Such organisms are very virulent." https://lnkd.in/e9yjFnc View in LinkedIn

LOW BLOOD IRON. "The induction of hypoferremia by inflammation is commonly seen in many infectious diseases." Infection leads to a defensive inflammatory response by rapidly releasing cytokines. Equally, many inflammatory diseases can cause low blood iron ("anemia of chronic and inflammatory diseases"). https://lnkd.in/eyMxbBN View in LinkedIn

IRON WARFARE. "Bacterial pathogens can acquire iron through receptor-mediated recognition of transferrin, lactoferrin, hemopexin, hemoglobin, or hemoglobin–haptoglobin complexes. Alternatively, secreted siderophores can remove iron from transferrin, lactoferrin, or ferritin, whereupon siderophore–iron complexes are recognized by cognate receptors at the bacterial surface." https://lnkd.in/epJAeXg View in LinkedIn

FRAGMENT FROM NATURE this weekend deals with pathogen iron piracy from the host during illnesses. Iron is a rate-limiting metal for pathogen growth, and pathogen hosts have figured out elaborate methods to try and limit access to this metal by pathogens, who in turn have been equally creative in finding ways to steal this critical commodity. View in LinkedIn

PATHOGENS NEED IRON. "Haemophilus influenzae is an obligate human commensal/pathogen. This haem autotroph must acquire haem from its host to sustain aerobic growth." This is common for many pathogens, bacterial, fungal or viral. This obligate need for iron has led to a range of iron acquisition strategies by the invasive pathogens, and creative iron sequestering responses by their hosts. https://lnkd.in/egknWXi View in LinkedIn

THIS DETAILED JOURNEY into mobile genetic elements is designed for a purpose, as it will be a Trojan Horse into a big and important topic that is too hot for most academics to touch. Careers can incinerate in this theme. But I have nothing to loose. And the topic deserves serious treatment. Softly, softly. View in LinkedIn

TRANSFERRIN DYNAMICS. "The iron-deficient transferrins will inhibit the growth of certain bacteria and fungi by making iron unavailable for bacterial metabolism. Such activity is abolished if the transferrin is saturated with iron. Overwhelming evidence is now available to indicate that the transferrins play an important role in mammalian host-defense mechanisms." https://lnkd.in/e9yjFnc View in LinkedIn