Exochelin-mediated iron uptake into Mycobacterium leprae.

Iron chelated to the exochelins from Mycobacterium neoaurum was taken up by a suspension of M. leprae, prepared from the liver of an infected armadillo, over 15 hr. No uptake occurred when the iron was chelated with exochelins from M. bovis BCG or M. smegmatis or to a single exochelin from M. vaccae. Uptake appeared to be by facilitated diffusion since it was not inhibited by either HgCl2, NaN3, or 2,4-dinitrophenol. This was similar to the mode of uptake of ferriexochelin into M. neoaurum itself.