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SUMMARY:Birdwatching as a microbiologist: What bacterial populations of Ps
 eudomonas aeruginosa tell us about the type VI secretion system\, host-mic
 robe interactions and bioengineering
DTSTART:20240220T121500
DTEND:20240220T131500
DTSTAMP:20260509T193540Z
UID:72fc2601540b13ff26160ef4f0dadf4c74991efaa9b389fffebf3bdb
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Daniel Unterweger\, Kiel University and Max Planck Institu
 te for Evolutionary Biology Ploen (Germany)\nBacteria use sophisticated mo
 lecular machineries to interact with other cells and take up nutrients. On
 e such machinery is the type VI secretion system (T6SS) that is found in a
  variety of bacteria including the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeru
 ginosa. Despite a remarkable understanding of the T6SS structure and molec
 ular biology in P. aeruginosa reference strains\, less is known about its 
 biodiversity and role during disease. We use a broad range of approaches t
 o better understand how and why P. aeruginosa bacteria use their T6SS.\n\n
 To study the biodiversity of the effector proteins that are secreted with 
 the T6SS (and include some proteins wit lipase activity)\, we performed mo
 lecular population genetics on roughly 2000 P. aeruginosa strains. Whereas
  some effector genes were found in the genomes of nearly every strain\, ot
 hers were not. According to the pangenome concept\, we refer to them as co
 re effectors and accessory effectors\, respectively. Based on the characte
 ristics of the effector proteins that are encoded in genes of each categor
 y\, we identified generalizable principles that might aid in the engineeri
 ng of proteins for delivery by the T6SS or other contractile injection dev
 ices.\n\nTo gain a better understanding of T6SS-mediated host-microbe inte
 ractions in a bacterial infection\, we used the insect Galleria mellonella
  as a model system and identified effectors with previously unknown anti-e
 ukaryotic activity that contribute to the virulence of P. aeruginosa. Furt
 her\, we identified phases during infection in which the T6SS is advantage
 ous or disadvantageous for the infecting bacterium. To specifically study 
 the host’s immune response to the T6SS\, we recruited a cohort of over 1
 00 patients colonized with P. aeruginosa and identified a subgroup of pati
 ents with an elevated anti-T6SS immune response.
LOCATION:SV 1717 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==SV%201717
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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