Affiliated research groups at Umeå Centre for Microbial Research.
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Molecular Biology
Control of virulence by small regulatory RNAs in the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes
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Created: Tuesday, 12 June 2007 12:33
Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive human pathogen causing several different diseases, like meningitis, septicaemia and abortions. Listeria has an unique ability to cross the intestinal barrier, the placental barrier and the blood-brain barrier during infection. The bacteria is able to invade most tissues and shows a specific cell-infection cycle
 Read More (Jörgen Johansson's group at Molecular Biology)
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| PI: Jörgen Johansson |
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Studies on the importance of proteolytic activities for survival and pathogenicity of S.pyogenes
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Created: Tuesday, 12 June 2007 12:33
The Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes is one of the most common and important human bacterial pathogens. Streptococcal infections include throat and skin infections, which, although generally self-limiting, cause substantial morbidity and economic loss for society. 600 million people are estimated to suffer from streptococcal pharyngitis world wide. Invasive streptococcal infections are rare; however, about 3000 cases of severe cases are reported every year in Europe. Streptococcal infections are commonly localized to the mucosal epithelium of the respiratory tract or to epidermal skin layers. The establishment of these infections is characterized by an intense inflammatory state, a typical feature of streptococcal infections. Host-pathogen interactions of S. pyogenes in an inflammatory environment have so far only poorly been investigated, but are of great importance as uncontrolled inflammatory responses lead to serious life-threatening conditions such as the streptococcal toxic-shock syndrome. Our research aims to elucidate the role of streptococcal proteases in controlling inflammatory processes. These mechanisms are involved in severe clinical conditions, as well as in autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis; and in dermatoses like psoriasis. Since S. pyogenes infections are clinically highly significant, studies on the molecular interaction between S. pyogenes and proteins controlling inflammatory processes are of significant importance and essential to our understanding on the impact of bacterial infections on human physiology. Importantly, these findings connect underlying molecular mechanisms of significant inflammatory diseases with microbial pathogenesis. .
Read More Ulrich von Pawel-Rammingen's group at Molecular Biology)
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PI: Ulrich von Pawel-Rammingen
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Regulatory and structural mechanisms governing Yersinia virulence
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Created: Tuesday, 12 June 2007 12:33
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is an oral bacterial pathogen capable of causing self-limiting foodborne illnesses and lingering reactive arthritis. In so doing, this pathogen serves as a model organism to study both the cause and effect of sophisticated bacterial interactions with target human cells. To dissect some of these processes is our goal. One predominate determinant of Yersinia pathogenesis is a multi-component injection device capable of targeting toxic bacterial proteins directly into the eukaryotic cell interior. We therefore delineate the various molecular interactions between components of this injection device and uncover the consequences of these interactions with respect to toxin targeting into eukaryotic cells. In addition, we also investigate the physiological relationship between maintenance of bacterial envelope integrity while assembling multi-component virulence determinants in this organelle. We currently approach this by analyzing the impact that activation of extra-cytoplasmic stress responsive pathways has on virulence gene expression and cellular pathogenesis by Yersinia.
Read More (Matthew Francis' group at Molecular Biology)
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| PI: Matthew S. Francis |
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Emmanuelle Charpentier
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Created: Tuesday, 12 June 2007 12:33
Emmanuelle Charpentier
Molecular mechanisms governing gram-positive bacterial pathogenesis
Our group is interested in the understanding of molecular mechanisms governing the interaction of gram-positive bacterial pathogens with their hosts, mainly employing the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A streptococcus, GAS) as a model organism. During an ongoing disease process, pathogens are heavily exposed to different specific and non-specific host defence mechanisms, amongst others growth-limiting conditions and stress factors at the site of infection. To thrive under these hostile conditions, pathogenic bacteria have developed well-directed strategies leading to a coordinated expression of virulence factors in response to host-induced environmental changes and stress. In this regard, small regulatory RNA molecules and regulated protein quality control play key roles in gram-positive bacterial pathogenesis and constitute the current research focus of our lab.
Read More (Emmanuelle Charpentier's group at MIMS)
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