Phthiocerol dimycocerosates and phenoglycolipids: key players for mycobacterial pathogenesis
Event details
| Date | 27.06.2011 |
| Hour | 15:00 |
| Speaker | Prof. Christophe Guilhot |
| Location |
SV 1717a
|
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Recent advances in the study of mycobacterial lipids demonstrate that the classes of lipids known as phthiocerol dimycocerosates and phenolglycolipids are major virulence determinant of human pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Mycobacterium leprae. These substances are closely structurally related and their synthesis involved a common set of enzymes. However their contribution in pathogenesis is different: phthiocerol dimycocerosates (DIM) are clearly required for optimal growth in infected host and have been found in every analyzed isolates of M. tuberculosis or M. leprae; in contrast phenolglycolipids (PGL) are dispensable but have been associated with the high virulence of some M. tuberculosis isolates. Recently we uncovered an unexpected structural diversity for these molecules within the M. tuberculosis complex. However the impact of these DIM and PGL structural variation on the interaction with the host remains to be characterized. In this presentation I will discuss recent findings regarding the molecular mechanisms of action of these compounds and new strategies to explore the structure/activities relationship of PGL.
Links
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Organizer
- Prof. John McKinney
Contact
- Prof. John McKinney