Nucleotide Polymorphism in the Iron Utilization System Gene isdB NEAT Domain Affects Heme-Binding Ability of IsdB Protein in Various Human Strains of Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Genetic heterogeneity of the isdB gene fragment encoding one of two heme-binding NEAr Transporter (NEAT) domains pfam05031 in different isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from the healthy carriers and the risk group patients (chronic inflammatory infections of the upper respiratory tract and middle ear) was investigated. All S. aureus strains included in the current study differed phenotypically from one another by degree of affinity to polystyrene with immobilized human hemoglobin. The isolates that displayed low affinity to hemoglobin were found to have more mutations within the isdB gene fragment which encodes one of the IsdB protein domains containing heme-binding sites.