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Molecular microbiology of Salmonella

Reference	BBS/E/F/00044404
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Arthur Thompson
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Quadram Institute Bioscience
Department	Quadram Institute Bioscience Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	1,271,698
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2010
End date	31/12/2015
Duration	68 months

Abstract

Salmonella is a leading cause of food-borne bacterial infections which are responsible for significant problems in the UK. Because transmission and infection are dependent on the survival of bacteria in different environments such as water, soil and food, we are investigating the effect of environmental change on the expression of genes involved in infection. We are capitalising on the complete DNA genome sequences now available for Salmonella. Our functional genomic strategy involves DNA microarray and next generation transcriptomic approaches to study bacterial genes and non-coding RNAs that are switched on or off by environmental signals, or during the infection process. We are specifically interested in the role of bacterial signal transduction molecules such as guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) which we recently showed to be essential for the activation of nearly all virulence gene expression in Salmonella. We are investigating its mechanism of action and how it transduces environmental signals to switch on virulence gene expression. We are also investigating the role of ppGpp in controlling the expression of non-coding RNAs to modulate virulence gene expression. Finally we are investigating the signals which result in the alternate expression of the intra and extracellular virulence gene expression programmes in Salmonella. These signals include sigma factors such as RpoS, RNA polymerase accessory proteins such as DksA, and ppGpp. The understanding of pathogenesis and environmental stress responses that we are developing for Salmonella will open up new possibilities for the control or eradication of harmful bacteria from the food chain.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Animal Health, Microbial Food Safety, Microbiology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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