SIDEROPHORE-MEDIATED MECHANISM OF GALLIUM UPTAKE DEMONSTRATED IN THE MICROORGANISM USTILAGO-SPHAEROGENA

Authors:
  • TET Emery
    T Emery
  • PHP B Hoffer
    P B Hoffer
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  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 21  (10) , 935-939
    • PMID:7420194
Abstract
The radioactive Ga analog of ferrichrome, 67Ga deferriferrichrome, was prepared and compared with ferrichrome in the specific siderophore-transport system of U. sphaerogena. The Ga analog is taken up by the cells in an active transport process indistinguishable from that of ferrichrome. Ga(III) effectively competes with Fe(III) for siderophore ligands both in vitro and in vivo at a rate highly dependent upon the chemical nature of the ligand. The findings may explain how Ga(III) mimics Fe(III) in clinical use (i.e., radiodiagnosis).