Mammals respond to bacterial infection by inducing the expression of hepcidin, which restricts serum iron levels through its effects on macrophage iron export and thereby limits systemic bacterial growth. Kim et al. now report that the macrophage-tropic pathogen Salmonella typhimurium exploits this pathway by triggering the expression of estrogen-related receptor-γ (ERR-γ), which they show increases hepcidin expression and enhances S. typhimurium growth.
- Don-Kyu Kim
- Jae-Ho Jeong
- Hueng-Sik Choi