Pyoverdine and pyochelin measurements

Abstract

Siderophores are small organic chelators (of molecular weight between 200 and 2,000 Da), having a very high affinity for iron (10 17 –10 43 M −1). They are synthesized by bacteria and secreted into their environment in order to get access to iron, an essential element for bacterial growth. Pyoverdine (also called fluorescins or pseudobactins) and pyochelin are the two major siderophores produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in iron-limited media. Methods to specifically detect and measure the amount of pyoverdine and pyochelin in a bacterial culture are provided here. These methods are based on the spectral properties of these two siderophores.