PPE37 Is Essential for <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Heme-Iron Acquisition (HIA), and a Defective PPE37 in <i>Mycobacterium bovis</i> BCG Prevents HIA

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis , one of the world’s leading causes of death, must acquire nutrients, such as iron, from the host to multiply and cause disease. Iron is an essential metal and M. tuberculosis possesses two different systems to acquire iron from its environment: siderophore-mediated iron acquisition (SMIA) and heme-iron acquisition (HIA), involving uptake and degradation of heme to release ferrous iron.