# Mechanisms of hemoglobin utilization by Mycobacterium tuberculosis

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA HLTH SCIENCES CTR · 2024 · $125,187

## Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), a lung pathogen, is dependent on iron acquisition to successfully colonize the human host. Mtb secretes siderophores to acquire iron from host transferrin, ferritin and lactoferrin, but the siderophores cannot access iron in heme (Hm) or hemoglobin (Hb), which store greater than 75% of host iron. Recently, it was shown that the necrotic centers of TB granulomas (infected macrophages) contain high concentrations of host Hm- and Hb-sequestering proteins to limits access of Mtb to Hm iron.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11015124
- **Project number:** 5P20GM134973-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA HLTH SCIENCES CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Avishek Mitra
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $125,187
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-23 → 2025-08-19

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11015124

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11015124, Mechanisms of hemoglobin utilization by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (5P20GM134973-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11015124. Licensed CC0.

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