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Precious transition metals: the importance of Zn2+, Mn2+ and Cu2+ in the human pathogen Enterococcus faecalis
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Enterococcus faecalis is a commensal bacterium able to colonize
different sites in the human host, such as the gastrointestinal tract, the
genito-urinary tract and the oral cavity. It can also be found in numerous
other environments, including soil, sand, water, food products and plants.
These bacteria show a dual behavior: they can behave quite harmlessly as
commensals, but are able to become opportunistic pathogens and cause
serious infections, such as urinary tract infections and endocarditis, in
hospital settings. The question as to how these bacteria are able to change
from commensalism to pathogenicity has directed many recent studies to
focus on the environmental host conditions that may trigger this transition
as well as on the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Metals are very important elements in the host environment, as they
are key components of many proteins and are involved in numerous cell
processes in both the host and the invading pathogen. The maintenance of
metal homeostasis is fundamental to both to ensure that metabolism and
cell functions are functioning properly. Variations in this homeostasis must
be tightly regulated. In several Gram positive pathogens, metal
homeostasis and regulation has been linked to their pathogenicity. The lack
of knowledge on this subject in E. faecalis motivated the work presented in
this thesis.(...)
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Dissertation presented to obtain the Ph.D degree in Biology
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Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica