Iron sequestration by small molecules: Thermodynamic and kinetic studies of natural siderophores and synthetic model compounds

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses researches on natural siderophores and synthetic siderophore-like molecules, with an emphasis on results from the laboratories over the past decade in the context of the overall field. These findings are discussed in terms of siderophore structure, the thermodynamics of iron sequestration, the kinetics of iron-exchange reactions in ferri-siderophore systems, and molecular recognition and transport. The chapter also discusses the expanding field of ferri-siderophore chemistry and its application to the design of synthetic iron chelators for the study of siderophore binding and uptake in mimics of biological systems, and in therapeutic applications. The use of iron chelators with high stability and specificity can be linked to the study of iron–siderophore chemistry, as an understanding of the structural and architectural features that microbes use to obtain iron from their environment can be used to design synthetic siderophore-like molecules for chelating iron in biological and engineered systems.