Absence of siderophore activity in Legionella species grown in iron-deficient media

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Abstract
Growth of Legionella spp. in a defined medium deficient in Fe did not result in the production of phenolic or hydroxamate siderophores which could be detected by chemical or biological assay methods. Growth of a variety of other gram-negative organisms under the same conditions resulted in the production of hydroxamate and phenolate siderophores. The Fe-deficient medium limited growth of the Legionella spp. more severely than it did the growth of the other gram-negative organisms. Legionella spp. do not make the commonly recognized siderophores, probably because they are restricted in their growth to those environments in which inorganic Fe is readily available or is supplied in a form bound to an unknown carrier.