The expression of ZnuABC is regulated by the zinc uptake regulator (Zur) protein and is induced by conditions of zinc starvation. Because zinc is often a limiting factor in bacterial infections, some pathogenic bacteria are heavily dependent on ZnuABC to scavenge zinc from the environment in an animal host.
The periplasmic protein ZnuA interacts with ZinT, another component of the regulon controlled by Zur, which is also involved in periplasmic zinc homeostasis.
References
↑Li H, Jogl G (May 2007). "Crystal structure of the zinc-binding transport protein ZnuA from Escherichia coli reveals an unexpected variation in metal coordination". Journal of Molecular Biology. 368 (5): 1358–66. doi:10.1016/j.jmb.2007.02.107. PMID17399739.