Iron acquisition by Cryptococcus neoformans.

Iron is an essential element for the growth and metabolism of microbial cells. Most pathogenic microbes elaborate powerful iron chelating agents (siderophores) to mobilize iron from ferric ligands. The pathogenic yeast, Cryptococcus neoformans has not been found to produce siderophores and its mechanism of iron acquisition is unknown. This investigation explored an alternative pathway for iron acquisition by examining the interactions of iron with the cell surface. Iron uptake experiments were conducted utilizing radiolabelled ferrous iron and ferric iron chelates, with evidence for the presence of iron(II) receptors and the generation of ferrous iron by surface reduction. Hyperbolic kinetics were found when 59FeII was presented to the organism and uptake was blocked with bathophenanthroline sulphonate, an Fe2+ chelator. The yeast also acquired iron as [59Fe3+]-citrate and [59Fe3+]-pyrophosphate while bathophenanthroline sulphonate reduced the acquisition of these ferric ligands by 48% and 52% respectively. Pre-incubation with either ferric ligand also reduced iron acquisition by 50%. KCN inhibited uptake of iron(II) by 90% and uptake of [59Fe3+]-pyrophosphate and [59Fe3+]-citrate by 46% and 56% respectively; dinitrophenol had no effect on these processes. The data suggest that C. neoformans can (i) generate ferrous iron at the cell surface via a reduction of ferric chelates, with the subsequent acquisition of the ferrous iron, and (ii) acquire iron through the interaction of ferric chelates with a surface component.

Regulation of cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide by iron.

Iron is tightly controlled in mammalian tissues and regulates virulence factors in various pathogenic organisms. The influence of Fe availability upon production of cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide was studied. Polysaccharide, measured as cell-bound glucuronyl residues, increased more than threefold as available Fe in the culture medium was varied from repletion to tight sequestration and depletion in five incremental steps. Since physiologic CO2 concentration may serve as stimulus for cryptococcal polysaccharide synthesis, the combined effect of Fe availability and CO2 on encapsulation was studied. Addition of dissolved, loosely chelated Fe moderated the effect of CO2. Tight chelation of dissolved Fe potentiated the CO2 effect. Tissue from infected mice showed heavily encapsulated organisms, consistent with results with physiologic CO2 concentration and Fe deprivation. In conclusion, cryptococcal polysaccharide synthesis is increased by limitation of ferric iron availability to the cell and by dissolved CO2, and the two effects are additive.