Project description:The screening of a cDNA derived expression library of Klebsiella pneumoniae MGH 78578 expressed in E.coli using a fusion construct and specific HaloTag interaction to a modified surface is shown. Thus, 1536 different clones were screened including positive (ompA, mdh) and negative (pyrC, gapA) reference proteins. The goal of the screening was to identify potential novel immunogenic proteins from K. pneumoniae by selecting clones showing a high signal intensity in comparison to the known antigens used as positve markers. Afterwards, the most promising clones were sequenced to identify the gene and corresponding protein and these proteins were then investigated further. Consequently, 14 novel immunogenic proteins could be identified.
Project description:Genome-wide gene expression analysis was performed with the cells in exponential and stationary growth phases. Through these two growth status, 89.6% of currently annotated genes were expressed.
Project description:For the last two decades, the three most common causes of death world-wide have been ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and respiratory tract infections; the latter being caused mainly by the influenza virus and the bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn). Reports through this period of time have shown that elderly patients admitted to the hospital for severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), experience ~10-25% mortality rates and up to 40% of them expired within one year. A key contributing factor for the observed high mortality rate are the major adverse cardiac events (MACE) that occur during hospitalization and convalescence9. Notably, during severe pneumococcal infections, Spn, the most common cause of CAP, has been shown to be capable of myocardial invasion, induction of cardiomyocyte death, and disruption of cardiac contractility. In addition, changes to heart functionality have also been reported after influenza infection in humans, however the mechanisms for this remain unclear.
Project description:Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a high-risk opportunistic pathogen causing hospital-acquired infections. Its filamentous phage Pf enhances biofilm integrity, pathogenicity, and antibiotic resistance. The excisionase XisF4, encoded by Pf4, is known to be a key protein in prophage excision and transcriptional regulation, yet its physicochemical properties, regulatory targets, functional mechanisms, and evolutionary traits remain unclear. This study aims to address these gaps.
Project description:Sequences of 11 amino acids belonging to the KPN_00363 protein and KPN_00459 protein from Klebsiella pneumoniae MGH 78578 which was previously identified as potentially immunogenic was analyzed via alanine scanning to narrow down the significant amino acid residues within the sequence.
Project description:To investigate the whole-genome gene expression difference between the wild-type and capsule deletion mutant in Klebsiella pneumoniae MGH 78578. The mutants analyzed in this study are further described in Huang T.W., Stapleton J.C., Chang H.Y., Tsai S.F., Palsson B.O., Charusanti P. Capsule removal via lambda-Red knockout system perturbs biofilm formation and fimbriae extression in Klesiella pneumoniae MGH 78578 (manuscript submission)
