Coproporphyrin III Produced by the Bacterium Glutamicibacter arilaitensis Binds Zinc and Is Upregulated by Fungi in Cheese Rinds

Abstract

Bacterium-fungus interactions play key roles in the assembly of cheese rind microbial communities, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions are poorly characterized. Moreover, millions of people around the world enjoy eating cheeses and cheese rinds, but our understanding of the diversity of microbial metabolites ingested during cheese consumption is limited. The discovery of zinc coproporphyrin III as the cause of pink pigment production by Glutamicibacter arilaitensis suggests that secretion of this molecule is important for microbial acquisition of trace metals.