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FieF (YiiP) from Escherichia coli mediates decreased cellular accumulation of iron and relieves iron stress

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Abstract

The Escherichia coli yiiP gene encodes an iron transporter, ferrous iron efflux (FieF), which belongs to the cation diffusion facilitator family (CDF). Transcription of fieF correlated with iron concentration; however, expression appeared to be independent of the ferrous iron uptake regulator Fur. Absence of FieF led to decreased growth of E. coli cells in complex growth medium but only if fur was additionally deleted. The presence of EDTA was partially able to relieve this growth deficiency. Expression of fieF in trans rendered the double deletion strain more tolerant to iron. Furthermore, E. coli cells exhibited reduced accumulation of 55Fe when FieF was expressed in trans. FieF catalyzed active efflux of Zn(II) in antiport with protons energized by NADH via the transmembrane pH gradient in everted membrane vesicles. Using the iron-sensitive fluorescent indicator PhenGreen-SK encapsulated in proteoliposomes, transmembrane fluxes of iron cations were measured with purified and reconstituted FieF by fluorescence quenching. This suggests that FieF is an iron and zinc efflux system, which would be the first example of iron detoxification by efflux in any organism.

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Abbreviations

CDF:

Cations diffusion facilitator

FieF:

Ferrous ion efflux

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants Ni262/4-1 and GR2061/1-1 of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Fonds der Chemischen Industrie to D.H.N. and to G.G., and by hatch project 136713 and NIEHS grant ESO4940 with funds from EPA to C.R. We thank Grit Schleuder for skilful technical assistance. Thanks are due Jerry Kaplan and Dennis R. Winge for critical reading of the manuscript.

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  1. Institut für Mikrobiologie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3, Halle, 06120, Germany

    Gregor Grass, Markus Otto, Dietrich H. Nies & Doreen Munkelt

  2. Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle, Halle, Germany

    Beate Fricke

  3. Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85718, USA

    Christopher J. Haney & Christopher Rensing

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  1. Gregor Grass
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Correspondence to Gregor Grass.

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Grass, G., Otto, M., Fricke, B. et al. FieF (YiiP) from Escherichia coli mediates decreased cellular accumulation of iron and relieves iron stress. Arch Microbiol 183, 9–18 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-004-0739-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-004-0739-4

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