Investigating the Role of Protease-mediated signaling in M. tuberculosis Virulence

标题 研究蛋白酶介导的信号转导在M.结核病毒力 摘要 细菌M.结核病（Mtb）持续威胁人类健康，结核病（TB） 估计每年造成1-2百万人死亡。不幸的是，对如何在分子水平上理解 结核病逃避免疫系统缺乏。这种知识上的关键差距减缓了新产品的设计速度。 寻求提高结核病疫苗效力或促进结核病患者的杀菌免疫的疗法。 我的假设是，当结核分枝杆菌感染宿主巨噬细胞时， 参与免疫反应的蛋白质。我提议探索分泌型结核分枝杆菌 蛋白酶通过切割宿主蛋白质而有助于毒力。我们将使用独特的组合， 蛋白质组学方法，以1）鉴定分泌的Mtb蛋白酶的潜在靶标，和2）全面地 分析Mtb感染期间的蛋白水解事件。然后我将在两个M中使用遗传分析。 结核病和宿主破坏细菌蛋白酶及其推定的宿主底物 探讨蛋白水解在结核病发病机制中的作用。

TITLE Investigating the Role of Protease-mediated signaling in M. tuberculosis Virulence ABSTRACT The bacterium M. tuberculosis (Mtb ) persists as a threat to human health, with tuberculosis (TB) killing an estimated 1-2 million people annually. Unfortunately, a molecular understanding of how Mtb evades the immune system is lacking. This critical gap in knowledge slows the design of new therapies that seek to improve TB vaccine efficacy or to promote sterilizing immunity in TB patients. My hypothesis is that when Mtb infects a host macrophage, it deploys proteases to degrade proteins involved in the immune response. I propose to explore the hypothesis that secreted Mtb proteases contribute to virulence by cleaving host proteins. We will use a unique combination of proteomics methods to 1) identify potential targets of secreted Mtb proteases, and to 2) globally profile proteolysis events during Mtb infection. I will then use genetic analysis in both M. tuberculosis and the host to disrupt both the bacterial proteases and their putative host substrates to evaluate the role that proteolysis plays in TB pathogenesis.