Periplasmic dipeptide-binding protein: Difference between revisions

Pathogenic bacteria require several metal cofactors for enzymatic activity and, therein, performance of biochemical processes. As a result, these parasites have evolved mechanisms by which they can uptake essential nutrients from their host.  Though many of these nutrients are present at ions in the cytosol of host cells or in the extracellular matrix of host tissue at various concentrations, thereby making sequestering these materials relatively simple, iron presents an interesting obstacle in terms of accessibility for bacteria. Iron in eukaryotes exists mainly in erythrocytes in the heme compound hemoglobin, though it also exists in storage compounds such as ferritin, lactoferrin, transferrin, and hemosiderin<ref>Ems, Thomas. “Biochemistry, Iron Absorption.” StatPearls [Internet]., U.S. National Library of