Dissecting components of thegene cluster under iron limitation.

Abstract

is a bacterium that is prevalent in the ceca of farmed poultry such as chickens. Consumption of ill-prepared poultry is thus the most common route by whichinfects the human gut to cause a typically self-limiting but severe gastrointestinal illness that can be fatal to very young, old, or immunocompromised people. The lack of a vaccine and an increasing resistance to current antibiotics highlight a need to better understand the mechanisms that makea successful human pathogen. This study focused on the functional components of one such mechanism-a molecular system that helpsthrive despite the restriction on growth-available iron by the human body, which typically defends against pathogens. In providing a deeper understanding of how this system functions, this study contributes toward the goal of reducing the enormous global socioeconomic burden caused by.