The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is commonly isolated from the general environment and also infects the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Iron in mammals is not freely available to infecting pathogens although significant amounts of extracellular iron are available in the sputum that occurs in the lungs of CF patients. P. aeruginosa has a large number of systems to acquire this essential nutrient and many of these systems have been characterised in the laboratory. However, which iron acquisition systems are active in CF is not well understood. Here we review recent research that sheds light on how P. aeruginosa obtains iron in the lungs of CF patients.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Chronic infection; Cystic fibrosis; Iron acquisition; Siderophore; Pyoverdine; Pyochelin; Infectious disease
Research Division:	Medical and Health Sciences
Research Group:	Medical Microbiology
Research Field:	Medical Bacteriology
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Clinical Health (Organs, Diseases and Abnormal Conditions)
Objective Field:	Respiratory System and Diseases (incl. Asthma)
Author:	Reid, DW (Dr David Reid)
ID Code:	60550
Year Published:	2009
Web of Science® Times Cited:	38
Deposited By:	Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Deposited On:	2010-02-11
Last Modified:	2011-07-28
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