The genomes of two bacteria could have the double benefit of saving orchards from fire blight, as well as treating complications arising from human blood transfusions, according to new research.

The research, led by the University of Warwick, has led to new understanding of the desferrioxamine family of chemicals, which is used by the Erwinia amylovora bacterium to damage apple and pear trees and acquire iron from them. This allows them to infect the trees with fire blight, which can sweep through the orchard if the trees are not removed.

Desferrioxamine is also used to treat iron overload in humans, which can sometimes occur after extensive blood transfusions.

By studying the bacteria’s genomes, researchers worked out that they use a similar biochemical pathway to produce desferrioxamines. Both use a ‘remarkable’ trimerisation-macrocyclisation reaction cascade in the key step. The researchers purified the enzyme responsible and showed that it could catalyse the reaction cascade in a test tube.

­­The new understanding of how desferrioxamine is created paves the way for research into new chemical inhibitors to prevent fire blight, as well as new drugs to treat iron overload.