Structure Function Analysis of the Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) of Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram negative, microaerophilic, spiral shaped bacterium that is the causative agent of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease and is implicated in the development of both mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue MALT lymphoma and gastric adenocarcinoma. H. pylori expresses several factors that aid in its colonization of and persistence within the harsh environment of the stomach. Among these factors is the Ferric Uptake Regulator Fur. Fur traditionally represses genes by binding to select regions within target promoters Fur boxes in its iron-bound dimeric form, which results in the occlusion of the RNA polymerase binding site. This type of iron-bound Fur repression is utilized in H. pylori as well as widely in the bacterial world.