Regulation of pilus biogenesis in Neisseria

一组名为奈瑟氏菌的细菌会引起人类特有的感染。为了开始感染，细菌必须产生一种毛发状的表面结构，即菌毛。菌毛主要由一种名为Pilin的蛋白质组成，我们现在了解了Pilin的生产是如何控制的。然而，另外20个基因也与菌毛的产生有关。这个项目旨在了解这些其他基因是如何被控制和协调来组装这种对致病能力至关重要的结构的。

A group of bacteria called Neisseria cause human-specific infections. To initiate infection, the bacteria must produce a hair-like surface structure, the pilus. The pilus consists mainly of a protein called pilin, and we now understand how pilin production is controlled. However 20 other genes are also involved in pilus production. This project aims to understand how these other genes are controlled and coordinated to assemble this structure that is central to the ability to cause disease.