Summary
Our research project aims to tackle the problem of persistence and chronic infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. P. aeruginosa is a gram-negative bacterium found in various environments including soil, water and vegetation. Importantly it is an opportunistic human pathogen, responsible for numerous nosocomial infections in immuno-compromised patients. These infections are fatal in cystic fibrosis patients.
Our project follows several research lines, which deal with essential molecular mechanisms involved in biofilm formation and type VI protein secretion. These two key processes are co-regulated and highly relevant for P. aeruginosa pathogenesis. The regulatory control involves signalling pathways associated with two-component regulatory systems and the intracellular second messenger c-di-GMP. We address these questions using multi-disciplinary approaches in molecular microbiology, genetics, cellular microbiology, structural biology and biochemistry.
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Lossi NS, Manoli E, Foerster A, et al., 2021, The HsiB1C1 (TssB-TssC) complex of the pseudomonas aeruginosa Type VI secretion system forms a bacteriophage tail sheathlike structure, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol:288, ISSN:0021-9258, Pages:7536-7548
Ma L-S, Hachani A, Lin J-S, et al., 2014, Agrobacterium tumefaciens Deploys a Superfamily of Type VI Secretion DNase Effectors as Weapons for Interbacterial Competition In Planta, Cell Host & Microbe, Vol:16, ISSN:1934-6069, Pages:94-104
Hachani A, Allsopp LP, Oduko Y, et al., 2014, The VgrG Proteins Are "à la Carte" Delivery Systems for Bacterial Type VI Effectors, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol:289, ISSN:1083-351X, Pages:17872-17884
Filloux A, 2013, MICROBIOLOGY A weapon for bacterial warfare, Nature, Vol:500, ISSN:0028-0836, Pages:284-285
Aksoy E, Taboubi S, Torres D, et al., 2012, The p110δ isoform of the kinase PI(3)K controls the subcellular compartmentalization of TLR4 signaling and protects from endotoxic shock, Nature Immunology, Vol:13, ISSN:1529-2908, Pages:1045-1054
Moscoso JA, Mikkelsen H, Heeb S, et al., 2011, The <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> sensor RetS switches Type III and Type VI secretion via c-di-GMP signalling, Environmental Microbiology, Vol:13, ISSN:1462-2912, Pages:3128-3138
Mikkelsen H, Sivaneson M, Filloux A, 2011, Key two-component regulatory systems that control biofilm formation in <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, Environmental Microbiology, Vol:13, ISSN:1462-2912, Pages:1666-1681
Hachani A, Lossi NS, Hamilton A, et al., 2011, Type VI Secretion System in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Secretion and Multimerization of VgrG Proteins, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol:286, ISSN:1083-351X
Bordi C, Lamy M-C, Ventre I, et al., 2010, Regulatory RNAs and the HptB/RetS signalling pathways fine-tune Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenesis, Molecular Microbiology, Vol:76, ISSN:1365-2958, Pages:1427-1443
Garvis S, Munder A, Ball G, et al., 2009, Caenorhabditis elegans semi-automated liquid screen reveals a specialized role for the chemotaxis gene cheB2 in pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence, PLOS Pathogens, Vol:5, ISSN:1553-7366
Filloux A, 2009, The type VI secretion system: a tubular story, EMBO Journal, Vol:28, ISSN:0261-4189, Pages:309-310
Goodman AL, Merighi M, Hyodo M, et al., 2009, Direct interaction between sensor kinase proteins mediates acute and chronic disease phenotypes in a bacterial pathogen, Genes & Development, Vol:23, ISSN:0890-9369, Pages:249-259
Filloux A, Hachani A, Bleves S, 2008, The bacterial type VI secretion machine: yet another player for protein transport across membranes, Microbiology, Vol:154, ISSN:1350-0872, Pages:1570-1583
Ventre I, Goodman AL, Vallet-Gely I, et al., 2006, Multiple sensors control reciprocal expression of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> regulatory RNA and virulence genes, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol:103, ISSN:0027-8424, Pages:171-176
Durand E, Michel G, Voulhoux R, et al., 2005, XcpX controls biogenesis of the <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> XcpT-containing pseudopilus, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol:280, ISSN:0021-9258, Pages:31378-31389
Filloux A, 2004, The underlying mechanisms of type II protein secretion, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta-Molecular Cell Research, Vol:1694, ISSN:0167-4889, Pages:163-179
Voulhoux R, Ball G, Ize B, et al., 2001, Involvement of the twin-arginine translocation system in protein secretion via the type II pathway, EMBO Journal, Vol:20, ISSN:0261-4189, Pages:6735-6741
Vallet I, Olson JW, Lory S, et al., 2001, The chaperone/usher pathways of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>:: Identification of fimbrial gene clusters (<i>cup</i>) and their involvement in biofilm formation, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol:98, ISSN:0027-8424, Pages:6911-6916
Voulhoux R, Lazdunski A, Filloux A, 2001, Colicin A hybrids:: a genetic tool for selection of type II secretion-proficient <i>Pseudomonas</i> strains, EMBO Reports, Vol:2, ISSN:1469-221X, Pages:49-54