Lrp plays a role in diverse behavior-response systems in the opportunistic human pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Disciplines
Life Sciences | Microbiology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Our lab investigates the leucine-responsive regulatory protein, Lrp, in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Utilizing a chromosomal gene knockout mutant, we have characterized altered phenotypes in swarming motility, biofilm-formation, siderophore-production, nutrient utilization and now predation response behavior. Many of these systems are known to be regulated by quorum-sensing (QS). In P. aeruginosa, N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) are signal molecules or autoinducers that activate the expression of three main cell density-dependent DNA regulatory systems. These systems, las, rhl and pqs, are hierarchal in such that las is the first to act which in turns affects rhl which finally acts upon pqs. In short, the AHL molecules are produced by inducer genes (lasI and rhlI) and released by cells and as the concentration builds in the population, surface or internal receptors (produced by lasR and rhlR) bind the signal molecules, which go on to influence gene expression of chromosomal genes. We seek to demonstrate that Lrp is involved in the cross-talk of these systems by combining the phenotypic analysis with a transcriptional study.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Molecular and Cellular Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Melanie Griffin
Additional Faculty
Ramya Rajagopalan, Molecular and Cellular Biology, rrajagop@kennesaw.edu
Lrp plays a role in diverse behavior-response systems in the opportunistic human pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Our lab investigates the leucine-responsive regulatory protein, Lrp, in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Utilizing a chromosomal gene knockout mutant, we have characterized altered phenotypes in swarming motility, biofilm-formation, siderophore-production, nutrient utilization and now predation response behavior. Many of these systems are known to be regulated by quorum-sensing (QS). In P. aeruginosa, N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) are signal molecules or autoinducers that activate the expression of three main cell density-dependent DNA regulatory systems. These systems, las, rhl and pqs, are hierarchal in such that las is the first to act which in turns affects rhl which finally acts upon pqs. In short, the AHL molecules are produced by inducer genes (lasI and rhlI) and released by cells and as the concentration builds in the population, surface or internal receptors (produced by lasR and rhlR) bind the signal molecules, which go on to influence gene expression of chromosomal genes. We seek to demonstrate that Lrp is involved in the cross-talk of these systems by combining the phenotypic analysis with a transcriptional study.