Biochemical and imaging studies on type III secretion mechanisms

项目总结-本研究的目的是了解细菌如何利用称为III型分泌系统的特殊分泌装置作为定植宿主动物的方式的机制。这个分泌系统将几十种细菌蛋白质直接注射到宿主细胞中，这样细菌就可以利用这些细胞生长。破坏分泌系统使细菌无法在宿主体内定植，因此了解这个系统在分子水平上是如何工作的是很重要的。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，以及生活在动物体内的有益细菌，以了解细胞生物学和细菌生态学的基本方面。我们的研究重点是一种特殊的细菌蛋白质，叫做伴侣蛋白，我们相信它能帮助III型分泌系统正常运作。

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.