The competition between enterobactin and glutathione for iron

Abstract

The competition for iron between thiol and catechol compounds is described. At pH values < 7.0, both mercaptoethanol and glutathione are able to completely remove iron from catechol. Although it is more diffxult to abstract iron from enterobactin, a tris-catecholato ligand, glutathione in contrast to mercaptoethanol, is able to compete effectively with this siderophore at pH values c6.0. As a result of being a multidentate ligand, glutathione forms stable complexes with iron( These findings offer a realistic explanation for the in vivo removal of iron from enterobactin without necessitating its destruction