Discovery Projects - Grant ID: DP0210205

Funded Activity Summary

Molecular mechanisms of pilin glycosylation in Neisseria: a model system for protein glycosylation in bacteria. The disease causing bacteria Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are important human pathogens. Cell surface structures, called pili, are known to be important in allowing the bacteria to stick to host cells. Genetic and structural studies have identified that the protein subunits, which make up pili, are glycosylated - modified by the addition of sugars. Until recently glycosylation of Gram-negative bacterial proteins was not thought to occur, however our recent work with these bacteria, and other groups studying Pseudomonas and Campylobacter, have shown that this process may be widespread. In our previous studies, we have identified and analysed a number of genes involved in pili glycosylation, in bacteria, which make known sugar structures. We have used this information to developed models for how the biochemistry and physiology of the glycosylation system may work. With a well-established structure and many genes already identified, glycosylation in Neisseria represents the best available model system to study this novel and important process. In the proposed study we describe experiments planned to test our models and reveal the molecular detail of this process. This study could lead to major advances in our understanding of this process and, when understood, may have future applications in biotechnology.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2002

End Date: 31-12-2005

Funding Scheme: Discovery Projects

Funding Amount: $261,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Enzymes | Microbial Genetics | Bacteriology | Microbiology

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

Biological sciences |

Other Keywords

Bacteriology | Biological sciences | Enzymes | Microbial Genetics | Microbiology

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