The role of the siderophore pyridine-2,6-bis (thiocarboxylic acid) (PDTC) in zinc utilization by Pseudomonas putida DSM 3601.

Previous work had suggested that in addition to serving the function of a siderophore, pyridine-2,6-bis(thiocarboxylic acid) (PDTC) may also provide producing organisms with the ability to assimilate other divalent transition metals. This was tested further by examining regulation of siderophore production, expression of pdt genes, and growth in response to added zinc. In media containing 10-50 microM ZnCl2, the production of PDTC was found to be differentially repressed, as compared with the production of pyoverdine. The expression of PdtK, the outer membrane receptor involved in PDTC transport, was also reduced in response to added zinc whereas other iron-regulated outer membrane proteins were not. Expression of a chromosomal pdtI: xylE fusion was repressed to a similar extent in response to zinc or iron. Mutants that cannot produce PDTC did not show a growth enhancement with micromolar concentrations of zinc as seen in the wild type strain. The phenotype of the mutant strains was suppressed by the addition of PDTC. The outer membrane receptor and inner membrane permease components of PDTC utilization were necessary for relief of chelator (1,10-phenanthroline)-induced growth inhibition by Zn:PDTC. Iron uptake from 55Fe:PDTC was not affected by a 32-fold molar excess of Zn:PDTC. The data indicate that zinc present as Zn:PDTC can be utilized by strains possessing PDTC utilization functions but that transport is much less efficient than for Fe:PDTC.