Active Transport of Iron in Bacillus megaterium: Role of Secondary Hydroxamic Acids

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Abstract
Kinetics of radioactive iron transport were examined in three strains of Bacillus megaterium. In strain ATCC 19213, which secretes the ferric-chelating secondary hydroxamic acid schizokinen, 59Fe3+ uptake from 59FeCl3 or the ferric hydroxamate Desferal-59Fe3+ was rapid and reached saturation within 3 min. In strain SK11, which does not secrete schizokinen, transport from 59FeCl3 was markedly reduced; the two ferric hydroxamates Desferal-59Fe3+ or schizokinen-59Fe3+ increased both total 59Fe3+ uptake and the 59Fe3+ appearing in a cellular trichloroacetic acid-insoluble fraction, although 10 min was required to reach saturation. Certain characteristics of transport from both ferric hydroxamates and FeCl3 suggest that iron uptake was an active process. The growth-inhibitory effect of aluminum on strain SK11 was probably due to the formation of nonutilizable iron-aluminum complexes which blocked uptake from 59FeCl3. Desferal or schizokinen prevented this blockage. A strain (ARD-1) resistant to the ferric hydroxamate antibiotic A22765 was isolated from strain SK11. Strain ARD-1 failed to grow with Desferal-Fe3+ as an iron source, and it was unable to incorporate 59Fe3+ from this source. Growth and iron uptake in strain ARD-1 were similar to strain SK11 with schizokinen-Fe3+ or the iron salt as sources. It is suggested that the ferric hydroxamates, or the iron they chelate, may be transported by a special system which might be selective for certain ferric hydroxamates. Strain ARD-1 may be unable to recognize both the antibiotic A22765 and the structurally similar chelate Desferal-Fe3+, while retaining its capacity to utilize schizokinen-Fe3+.