GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY - T.P. Pyrog - 2004

11. MAIN MECHANISMS OF METABOLISM AND ENERGY CONVERSION IN MICROORGANISMS

11.7. MECHANISMS OF SUBSTRATE UPTAKE

11.7.5. Iron transport

Microbial Cells possess a specialized mechanism for The transport of this macroelement. Under anaerobic conditions, iron exists as a divalent ion (Fe2-), and its concentrations can reach 10 -1 mol/L, thus not limiting Microbial growth. However, under aerobic conditions at pH 7.0, iron precipitates as a hydroxide complex Fe3-, which is nearly insoluble. The concentration of ferric ions is only 10-18 mol/L. Therefore, it is not surprising that microorganisms are capable of synthesizing compounds that convert iron into a soluble form. These are the so-called siderophores. They bind Fe3- ions into a complex and transport it into The Cell in this form. Siderophores are low-molecular-weight (molecular weight not exceeding 1500) Water-soluble substances that chemically belong to phenolates or hydroxamates.



Last update: 12/08/2026

Editorial and Educational Adaptation: This material has been compiled based on the primary/original source text. The project team performed an editorial review, corrected technical inaccuracies, structured sections, and adapted the content for an educational format.

What was processed:

  • elimination of formatting defects (OCR errors, structural breaks, corrupted characters);
  • editorial organization of content;
  • standardization of terminology in accordance with academic sources;
  • verification of factual statements against the original source text.

All mentions of the author, publication year, and origin of the primary text have been preserved in accordance with the source.