Metal acquisition and virulence inBrucella

Abstract

AbstractSimilar to other bacteria,Brucellastrains require several biologically essential metals for their survivalin vitroandin vivo. Acquiring sufficient levels of some of these metals, particularly iron, manganese and zinc, is especially challenging in the mammalian host, where sequestration of these micronutrients is a well-documented component of both the innate and acquired immune responses. This review describes theBrucellametal transporters that have been shown to play critical roles in the virulence of these bacteria in experimental and natural hosts.