The protein identified allows the bacterial strain known as E coli 0157:H7 to obtain the iron it needs for survival in the body.
Iron is a catalyst for bacterial growth, so when a human body detects bacterial invasion, it naturally produces proteins that bind tightly to and restrict iron to limit bacterial growth. In response, bacteria have evolved other methods to acquire iron including detecting and using human heme within proteins such as hemoglobin that transports oxygen from our lungs.
The newly discovered protein breaks down heme, releasing the iron atom stored there for use by the deadly bacteria.
“This discovery opens the door for studying the function of heme iron in this strain of E coli, and may lead to an understanding of how to therapeutically isolate the protein to keep the bacteria from thriving,” said Dr Zongchao Jia, lead researcher in the study.
Researchers believe that isolating one of the proteins E coli 0157:H7 needs for survival will not be enough, however, since the bacteria will migrate to surrounding proteins as iron sources.
Ongoing research is required to examine the functions of several different proteins to find an effective treatment for E coli 0157:H7, similar to the cocktail used to treat other severe bacterial infections.