Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2002 Nov;10(5):1033-43.
doi: 10.1016/s1097-2765(02)00708-6.

The neutrophil lipocalin NGAL is a bacteriostatic agent that interferes with siderophore-mediated iron acquisition

David H Goetz  1 , Margaret A Holmes, Niels Borregaard, Martin E Bluhm, Kenneth N Raymond, Roland K Strong
Affiliations
Free article

The neutrophil lipocalin NGAL is a bacteriostatic agent that interferes with siderophore-mediated iron acquisition

David H Goetz et al. Mol Cell. 2002 Nov.
Free article

Abstract

First identified as a neutrophil granule component, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL; also called human neutrophil lipocalin, 24p3, uterocalin, or neu-related lipocalin) is a member of the lipocalin family of binding proteins. Putative NGAL ligands, including neutrophil chemotactic agents such as N-formylated tripeptides, have all been refuted by recent biochemical and structural results. NGAL has subsequently been implicated in diverse cellular processes, but without a characterized ligand, the molecular basis of these functions remained mysterious. Here we report that NGAL tightly binds bacterial catecholate-type ferric siderophores through a cyclically permuted, hybrid electrostatic/cation-pi interaction and is a potent bacteriostatic agent in iron-limiting conditions. We therefore propose that NGAL participates in the antibacterial iron depletion strategy of the innate immune system.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

Associated data