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FhuD is a periplasmic binding protein (PBP) that, under iron-limiting conditions, transports various hydroxamate-type siderophores from the outer membrane receptor (FhuA) to the inner membrane ATP-binding cassette transporter (FhuBC). Unlike many other PBPs, FhuD possesses two independently folded domains that are connected by an α-helix rather than two or three central β-strands. Crystal structures of FhuD with and without bound gallichrome have provided some insight into the mechanism of siderophore binding as well as suggested a potential mechanism for FhuD binding to FhuB. Since the α-helix connecting the two domains imposes greater rigidity on the structure relative to the β-strands in other ‘classical’ PBPs, these structures reveal no large conformational change upon binding a hydroxamate-type siderophore. Therefore, it is difficult to explain how the inner membrane transporter FhuB …