Iron transport and utilization were examined in Bacillus megaterium Ard1, a mutant that is resistant to the hydroxymate antibiotic A22765 and whose growth is inhibited by the structurally similar hydroxamate Desferal. Rapid, low-level uptake of Desferal-50Fe was observed; such uptake was temperature and energy independent. Gel filtration chromatography of the cytoplasmic fraction of protoplasts labeled with Desferal-55Fe for 30 to 120 s demonstrated only unchanged esferal-55Fe in the cytoplasm. Although B. megaterium Ard1 showed transport of Desferal-59Fe by a process that resembles facilitated diffusion, this organism was unable to transfer iron from this chelate to cellular macromolecules for metabolic use. High-level transport of the ferric hydroxamate schizokinen-59Fe by B. megaterium Ard1 was both temperature and energy dependent. Within 30 s, protoplasts labeled with schizokinen-55Fe contained iron associated with certain macromolecules and in an apparent "pool" of schizokinen-55Fe in the cytoplasmic fraction. Prior transport of Dseferal-55Fe by protoplasts of strain Ard1 did not interfere with subsequent transport and utilization of schizokinen-59Fe. These studies suggest that transport of ferric hydroxamates may occur by a facilitated diffusion-type process; transfer of iron to cellular macromolecules may drive high-level transport of the chelate and may be the step at which energy is required in the iron transport-assimilation process.