Characterization of Bordetella pertussis factors involved in the intracellular survival. Search for a new generation of pertussis vaccine candidates.

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Uwe Völker, since 11/2018
• Subject Area: Medical Microbiology and Mycology, Hygiene, Molecular Infection Biology ; Immunology ; Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens
• Term: from 2018 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 357058152

The ability of pathogens like Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) to adapt to the environment within the infected host as well as the hosts cellular and immune response to such invasion inevitably influence both the establishment of infection and its progression. Several human pathogens have evolved persistence mechanisms that favor its survival and evasion of the immune response hampering their eradication. In the case of Bordetella pertussis, the mechanisms that allow this pathogen to persist in populations with high vaccination coverage, evade immune clearance, and to cause the extraordinarily prolonged disease 100-day cough are not known. To elucidate the molecular background of complex host pathogen interactions, modern OMICs techniques are the method of choice. Since proteins, the key players of life, outline the progresses actually occur in the cells, we chose high sensitive proteomics to characterize the pathogen- and the host-proteome inventory during infection process. In this proposal we aim to elucidate interactions by employing first gel-free proteomics to understand the role of host and pathogen proteins during the interaction and to resolve a group of roughly 40 proteins playing a major role during host-pathogen contact. Because those proteins may interact with the immune system, we use such proteinogenic antigens for further time resolved immunoproteomics approaches in a mouse infection model in order to measure the specific antibody response during infection.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Argentina
• Partner Organisation: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA, TECNOLOGÍA E ; INNOVACIÓN PRODUCTIVA
• Cooperation Partners: Dr. Yanina A. Lamberti; Professorin Dr. Maria Eugenia Rodriguez, Ph.D.
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Dr. Frank Schmidt, until 10/2018