Ferrichrome in Schizosaccharomyces pombe -: an iron transport and iron storage compound

Schizosaccharomyces pombe has been assumed not to produce siderophores. Nevertheless, the genomic sequence of this fission yeast revealed the presence of siderophore biosynthetic genes for hydroxamates. Applying a bioassay based on an Aspergillus nidulans strain deficient in siderophore biosynthesis, and using reversed-phase HPLC and mass spectrometry analysis, we demonstrate that S. pombe excretes and accumulates intracellularly the hydroxamate-type siderophore ferrichrome. Under iron-limiting conditions, the cellular ferrichrome pool was present in the desferri-form, while under iron-rich conditions, in the ferri-form. In contrast to S. pombe, hydroxamate-type siderophores could not be detected in two other yeast species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans.