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Analysis of protein expression profiles allowing zoonotic Brucella species to adapt to host cell-mimicking stress conditions

Project

Food and consumer protection

This project contributes to the research aim 'Food and consumer protection'. Which funding institutions are active for this aim? What are the sub-aims? Take a look:
Food and consumer protection


Project code: BfR-BIOS-08-1329-487
Contract period: 01.11.2011 - 31.12.2014
Purpose of research: Applied research

Brucellosis is a globally re-emerging zoonosis. The infection is caused by a variety of different Brucella species which are genetically closely related but phenotypically divergent. There are crucial differences in environmental persistence, pathogenicity and host specificity of the pathogens. Gene regulation and metabolic adaptation might be responsible for the apparent contradiction between genotype and phenotypic traits. Brucella will act as a model pathogen for bacterial zoonotic diseases with the distinctive feature that individual species are restricted to specific animal hosts, despite highly conserved genomes. The identification of specific regulatory processes and networks therefore appears promising and of great impact on the understanding of host specificity and adaptation to environmental stress conditions. In the research project, a comparative proteomic analysis of the two homologous species B. suis and B. microti (99.84% genome sequence identity) shall be performed under nutrient- and pH-stress in vitro, mimicking starvation and acidic conditions in the host and the environment. B. microti has been recently described as a new member of the genus Brucella and the first species that was isolated from habitats outside mammalian hosts. The isolation of B. microti from environmental samples represents an unpredictable risk for men and animals, as this reservoir may be linked to so far unknown modes of transmission. B. microti proved to be more resistant to acidic conditions than the classical Brucella species so that the bacteria may survive in food products despite conservation. In addition, this new species was highly virulent in the murine model of infection. Proteome analysis shall be performed using 2D DIGE gel electrophoresis. Significantly regulated proteins will be identified by MALDI-TOF MS. The expected results of the study will complement the knowledge deriving from transcriptome analysis and metabolic activity testing of Brucella spp. which are currently conducted at the Centre d'études d'agents Pathogènes et Biotechnologies pour la Santé, Monpellier, and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, respectively.

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Subjects

Framework programme

BMEL Frameworkprogramme 2008

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