Structural biology of H. pylori flagellum biogenesis

本研究将研究人类胃致病菌幽门螺杆菌鞭毛生物发生过程中蛋白质的三维结构。一组蛋白质参与整个过程的调节，而另一组蛋白质专门促进鞭毛成分穿过细菌细胞膜的分泌。与其他细菌相比，幽门螺杆菌中鞭毛的生物发生鲜为人知，但它具有一些非常有趣的功能和调控方面，使其成为理想的研究对象。此外，已知幽门螺杆菌的运动是细菌在人类胃粘膜内定植和持续存在所必需的。因此，更深入地了解鞭毛在这种生物体中的生物发生功能，最终可能导致对细菌干预的深入了解。

This proposal will investigate the three-dimensional structures of proteins involved in flagellum biogenesis in the human stomach pathogen Helicobacter pylori. One group of proteins is involved in the overall regulation of the process, whereas the other group of proteins specifically facilitate secretion of flagellum components across the bacterial cell membrane. Flagellum biogenesis in Helicobacter is less well understood than in other bacteria, but has some very interesting functional and regulatory facets that make it ideal to study. Furthermore, it is known that Helicobacter pylori motility is required for bacterial colonization and persistence in the human stomach mucus lining. Hence, a greater understanding of how flagellum biogenesis functions in this organism could eventually lead to insights into bacterial intervention.