Project Details
Projekt
Unraveling the c-di-GMP signaling network in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Applicant
Professorin Dr. Susanne Häußler
Subject Area
Medical Microbiology and Mycology, Hygiene, Molecular Infection Biology
Term
from 2016 to 2024
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 314672977
There is increasing knowledge on extracellular signals that affect the activity of enzymes which modulate intracellular levels of the universal bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP. However, knowledge on factors involved in the translation of the intracellular c di GMP levels into bacterial behavior on the single cell level still remains limited. We observed in preliminary experiments a change in the stability of certain Pseudomonas aeruginosa target mRNAs in the presence of excess intracellular c-di-GMP. Since riboswitches can affect gene expression on a very global scale and seem to be a very effective way to translate intracellular c di GMP levels into bacterial behavior, we aim to uncover in the proposed project whether and where c-di-GMP binds directly to target mRNAs and causes a change in the accessibility of the mRNA substrate to the RNA degradation machinery. Binding of c-di-GMP might directly impact access of the RNases to their target mRNAs or lead to secondary structure formation which is not open to RNase action. We will furthermore uncover the c-di-GMP binding motif on the target mRNA, characterize its interaction with the RNA degradation machinery and evaluate the impact of c-di-GMP dependent differentials in transcript abundance on c-di-GMP dependent phenotypes such as biofilm formation and motility phenotypes.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
