Biochemical and imaging studies on type III secretion mechanisms

项目摘要-这项研究的目的是了解细菌如何使用一种称为III型分泌系统的专门分泌装置作为寄主动物定居的一种方式的机制。这个分泌系统将数十种细菌蛋白质直接注入宿主细胞，这样细菌就可以利用这些细胞进行生长。禁用分泌系统会使细菌无法在宿主上定居，因此在分子水平上了解这个系统是如何工作的很重要。我们研究污染加拿大食物和水供应的细菌的III型分泌系统，以及生活在动物中的有益细菌，以了解细胞生物学和细菌生态学的基本方面。我们的重点一直是被称为伴侣的特殊细菌蛋白质，我们认为这种蛋白质有助于III型分泌系统的正常运作。

Project Summary - The aim of this research is to understand the mechanisms of how bacteria use a specialized secretion apparatus called the type III secretion system as a way to colonize host animals. This secretion system injects dozens of bacterial proteins directly into host cells so that the bacteria can use these cells for their growth. Disabling the secretion system renders the bacteria unable to colonize their hosts and so understanding how this system works at a molecular level is important. We study type III secretion systems in bacteria that contaminate food and water supplies in Canada, as well as helpful bacteria that live in animals, in order to understand fundamental aspects of cell biology and bacterial ecology. Our focus has been on specialized bacterial proteins called chaperones that we believe help the type III secretion system function properly.