Understanding The Impact Of Epigenetic Gene Regulation On Helicobacter Pylori Persistence And Pathogenesis.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$757,896.00
Summary
Helicobacter pylori is a highly persistent pathogen and remains a significant problem worldwide, causing gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. This project will increase our understanding of how H. pylori infection persists for the life of its human host and will provide knowledge that is critical in developing new strategies for preventing these infections.
The Roles Of Lipoprotein Multigene Families In Pathogenesis Of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$257,036.00
Summary
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the most common causes of community acquired pneumonia. Although it can usually be successfully treated with antibiotics, it can result in more severe diseases and can be difficult to diagnose accurately. It has been identified as a target for vaccine development, but this has been hampered by the limited understanding we have of how it causes disease. The attempts at vaccination that have been made have resulted in vaccines which induced more severe, rather than ....Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the most common causes of community acquired pneumonia. Although it can usually be successfully treated with antibiotics, it can result in more severe diseases and can be difficult to diagnose accurately. It has been identified as a target for vaccine development, but this has been hampered by the limited understanding we have of how it causes disease. The attempts at vaccination that have been made have resulted in vaccines which induced more severe, rather than less severe, disease. Investigations of several other related bacteria have shown that they are able to vary their surface proteins and thus may evade the immune system, permitting them to cause more prolonged disease. Better understanding how this occurs, and what this enables the bacteria to do, may assist in developing improved vaccine strategies. This project aims to investigate the six gene families in Mycoplasma pneumoniae which are known to encode surface proteins and establish how and why the bacteria switch from one gene to another during infection. In addition the capacity of bacteria expressing different versions of the six surface proteins to adhere to different tissues will be investigated. Once this is known, these mechanisms may be able to be specifically disrupted to prevent a strain of Mycoplasma pneumoniae from being able to establish prolonged infections. Such a strain might be a useful basis for an effective vaccine.Read moreRead less
Certain bacterial DNA repeats are prone to hyper mutation. Genes with these repeats, Contingency genes, are randomly switched on and off. This process, phase variation , generates diversity in a population. Recently we described a new class of contingency gene that methylates DNA. On-off switching of this gene leads to random switching of multiple genes; the phasevarion . We will define the impact of this system in bacteria causing meningitis and STDs.
Phase Variable Protein Glycosylation In Bacteria Mucosal Pathogens And Its Role In Immune Evasion
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$409,728.00
Summary
The bacterium Haemophilus influenzae is a leading cause of ear infections. Hearing loss from these infections can seriously affect literacy and educational performance. As no vaccine is available, we will research how the bacterium makes the HMW protein that is important in infection. We will study how sugars are added to the surface of this protein so that the bacterium can escape the immune system, its role in related bacteria and how it may be used in a vaccine.