# Heme and hemoglobin utilization by Mycobacterium tuberculosis

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2020 · $667,943

## Abstract

Project Summary - Heme and hemoglobin utilization by Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is of one of the most important bacterial pathogens. Iron is
essential for growth of Mtb, but iron is efficiently sequestered in the human host. Hemoglobin is
by far the most prevalent iron source in the human body and is often preferred by bacterial
pathogens. Recently, we identified proteins that are essential components of an unprecedented
heme and hemoglobin utilization system in Mtb. Interestingly, these novel heme-binding
proteins are also required for utilization of hemoglobin indicating that heme is released from
hemoglobin at the cell surface of Mtb by an unknown mechanism and then transferred to the
heme uptake system. This proposal aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of heme and
hemoglobin utilization by Mtb. This project will lead to a better understanding of how Mtb gains
access to iron during infection. To achieve these goals we employ state-of-the-art genetic,
biochemical, biophysical and structural methods.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9842650
- **Project number:** 5R01AI137338-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** MICHAEL NIEDERWEIS
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $667,943
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9842650

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9842650, Heme and hemoglobin utilization by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (5R01AI137338-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9842650. Licensed CC0.

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