ArticleBiometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine2021
Biofilm-specific uptake of a 4-pyridone-based iron chelator by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Article in Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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6 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mechanisms ofMedicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Review
- Targeting Bacterial Biofilms on Medical Implants: Current and Emerging Approaches.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- The Hydroxypyridinone Iron Chelator DIBI Reduces Bacterial Load and Inflammation in Experimental Lung Infection.Biomedicines · 2024Article
- Deferiprone-Gallium-Protoporphyrin Chitogel DecreasesMaterials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Potential additional effects of iron chelators on antimicrobial- impregnated central venous catheters.Frontiers in microbiology · 2023Article
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3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
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Abstract
Iron is an essential nutrient for virtually all microbes and limiting the concentration of available iron is a potential strategy to be used as an alternative to antibiotic treatment. In this study we analysed the antimicrobial activity of two chelators, specifically 3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethyl-4(1H)-pyridone (deferiprone, DFP), which is clinically approved for the treatment of iron overload disorders, and its 1,2-diethyl homologue, CP94. Both compounds showed moderate activity towards planktonically growing P. aeruginosa cells, and the mechanism of action of these chelators was indeed by limiting the amount of free iron. Surprisingly, the compounds behaved very differently when the cells were grown in biofilms. DFP also showed inhibitory effects on biofilm formation but in contrast, CP94 stimulated this process, in particular at high concentrations. We hypothesised that CP94 behaves as an iron carrier, which was confirmed by our observation that it had antimicrobial synergy with the toxic metals, gallium and copper. This suggests that P. aeruginosa produces a biofilm-specific transport protein that recognises CP94 but not the closely related compound DFP.
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