Bacterial c-type cytochromes and pathogenicity

Abstract

During the course of infection, bacterial pathogens must adjust their metabolism for growth in the host and to counteract host response systems that would otherwise eliminate the pathogen. A group of proteins that can participate in such metabolic shifts are the c -type cytochromes, a widely distributed class of extracellular hemoprotiens involved in many types of redox chemistry, such as respiration and H 2 O 2 scavenging. The c -type cytochromes are characterized by covalently attached heme and are assembled at the cell surface by cytochrome c maturation systems. Several studies have provided insight into the functions of bacterial c -type cytochromes and cytochrome c biogenesis systems in the ability to colonize the host and induce pathogenic damage.