Siderophores of the human pathogenic fluorescent pseudomonads.

Bacteria need a sufficient supply of iron in ionic form for their metabolism. When living in an environment where this is not possible (as in the soil due to the presence of highly unsoluble ferric oxide hydrates, or in living organisms where iron is bound to peptidic chelators) Fe3+ complexing compounds, called siderophores, are produced. The siderophores of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a dangerous opportunistic human pathogen, and of related potentially pathogenic species will be presented.