Pathogen hemoglobin receptor specificity for human hemoglobin
A method of measuring binding between hemoglobin and a microbe of interest includes: providing hemoglobin from a source of interest; contacting the hemoglobin with a microbe of interest; and measuring the binding affinity between the hemoglobin and the microbe, wherein the binding affinity is indicative of microbe virulence in the presence of the hemoglobin.
1. A method of screening a mammalian subject for susceptibility to systemic infection by Staphylococcus aureus comprising:
(a) providing purified hemoglobin from the subject;
(b) contacting the hemoglobin with the Staphylococcus aureus and
(c) measuring the binding affinity between the hemoglobin and the Staphylococcus aureus , wherein an increased binding affinity between the hemoglobin and the Staphylococcus aureus compared to the binding affinity between the hemoglobin and a control is indicative of the enhanced susceptibility of the subject to the Staphylococcus aureus , wherein the control is an average of binding affinities between the Staphylococcus aureus and purified hemoglobin from a predetermined population of the mammalian subject.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is human.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the increased binding affinity is indicative of iron acquisition by the Staphylococcus aureus.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the increased binding affinity is indicative of risk of developing the infection by the subject.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the increased binding affinity is indicative of risk of developing the exacerbated infection by the subject.