Iron-withholding strategy in innate immunity

The knowledge of how organisms fight infections has largely been built upon the ability of host innate immune molecules to recognize microbial determinants. Although of overwhelming importance, pathogen recognition is but only one of the facets of innate immunity. A primitive yet effective antimicrobial mechanism which operates by depriving microbial organisms of their nutrients has been brought into the forefront of innate immunity once again. Such a tactic is commonly referred to as the iron-withholding strategy of innate immunity. In this review, we introduce various vertebrate iron-binding proteins and their invertebrate homologues, so as to impress upon readers an obscured arm of innate immune defense. An excellent comprehension of the mechanics of innate immunity paves the way for the possibility that novel antimicrobial therapeutics may emerge one day to overcome the prevalent antibiotic resistance in bacteria. (c) 2006 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.