Julian Spagnuolo

Citation

Thesis Title
Extracytoplasmic Stress Responses Induced by a Model Secretin

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Giant channels, known as secretins, are essential for the virulence of enteric pathogenic bacteria.  However, these channels impose stress upon the bacterium.  Consequently, like many other organisms, they have evolved responses to mitigrate the harmful effects of stress.  Such responses are essential for the survival of bacterial pathogens within the host.  Mr Spagnuolo carried out, by way of RNA-sequencing, a detailed transcriptomic analysis of the responses required by Escherichia coli to survive stress imposed by a model secretin channel, identifying three additional essential stress responses required to survive this stress.  Physiological relevence of genetic data was reinforced by the inability of single gene knock-out mutants to survive secretin stress in a laboratory model.  His research critically increases the number of potential drug-targets for antibacterial chemotherapy. 

Supervisors
Professor Jasna Rakonjac
Professor Murray Cox