Association of iron-acquisition-related genes and milk lactoferrin concentration with the growth of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in milk of dairy cows.

Although the iron-acquisition systems of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae are known to be important for pathogenicity, the interaction between the antimicrobial potential of lactoferrin (LF) and bacterial pathogenesis via iron uptake systems in bovine mastitis is still unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the LF concentration in milk and the bacterial iron-acquisition system on bacterial growth in unpasteurized raw milk from cows. Twenty-four strains of E.