Final Report Summary - PATHO IRON (Cytosolic iron metabolism in unicellular eukaryotic pathogens)
During the tenure of the project, an international collaboration was initiated focused on a recently discovered photosynthetic marine microorganism Chromera velia. We have described in C. velia cells a novel two-step model of iron uptake in which aqueous ferric ions are first concentrated in the cell wall before being taken up by the cells without prior reduction, by a thermodynamically controlled mechanism. It is of particular interest to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying acquisition of iron by marine phytoplankton and our results may help to determine which iron sources are preferentially assimilated with regard to the yield of carbon fixation. Moreover, C. velia is closely related to Apicomplexan parasites including the causative agent of malaria. Our investigation of biochemical processes of C. velia will help us to understand how photosynthetic algae evolved into the fully parasitic Apicomplexa and may lead to new therapeutic strategies.