Impact of iron on structuration & functioning of cheese microbial communities
Résumé
Microbial interactions are decisive factors in cheese quality and safety. Microorganisms require certain crucial nutrients for functioning, and iron is on top of the nutrient list. Iron is involved in various metabolic, physiological, and biochemical processes such as respiration, gene regulation, enzyme cofactor, DNA, fatty acids, and amino acids syntheses. However, cheese is a highly iron-restricted habitat(1.24mg/Kg) due to its very low iron quantity, presence of iron-chelating proteins(lactoferrin), and the low iron diffusion index. Consequently, iron competition is one of the mediators of microbe-microbe interactions in cheese rinds. It has been demonstrated that iron is a limiting factor for the growth of many surface-ripening bacteria. Cheese-ripening microorganisms have adapted strategies to combat the iron-restricted environment, like the iron acquisition system. They produce siderophores (iron chelators with high Fe+3 affinity) under iron-starved conditions. Understanding iron’s role in cheese-ripening microbes is of utmost importance due to its crucial role in various mechanisms.
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