Abstract
Iron is an essential trace element for multicellular organisms and nearly all microorganisms. Although iron is abundant in the environment, common forms of iron are minimally soluble and therefore poorly accessible to biological organisms. Microorganisms entering a mammalian host face multiple mechanisms that further restrict their ability to obtain iron and thereby limit their pathogenicity. Iron levels also modulate host defence, as iron content in macrophages regulates their cytokine production. Here, we review recent advances that highlight the role of systemic and cellular iron-regulating mechanisms in protecting hosts from infection, emphasizing aspects that are applicable to human health and disease.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Bacterial Infections / immunology*
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Bacterial Infections / microbiology
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Bacterial Infections / pathology
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Cytokines / genetics
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Cytokines / immunology
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Gene Expression Regulation
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Homeostasis / immunology*
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Humans
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Immunity, Innate
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Inflammation / immunology
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Inflammation / microbiology
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Inflammation / pathology
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Iron / immunology*
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Iron / metabolism
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Iron-Binding Proteins / genetics
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Iron-Binding Proteins / immunology*
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Iron-Regulatory Proteins / genetics
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Iron-Regulatory Proteins / immunology*
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Macrophages / immunology
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Macrophages / microbiology
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Macrophages / pathology
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Nonheme Iron Proteins / genetics
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Nonheme Iron Proteins / immunology*
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Signal Transduction
Substances
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Cytokines
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Iron-Binding Proteins
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Iron-Regulatory Proteins
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Nonheme Iron Proteins
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Iron