Lab Members | Daniel Lee | Research Interest
Mechanisms of P. aeruginosa Toxin-Mediated Killing
The opportunistic human pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, simultaneously produces at least two classes of diffusible toxins that are important for causing mortality in mouse and Caenorhabditis elegans models. One class corresponds to a known molecule called pyocyanin whereas the other class remains unidentified. 36A4, a P. aeruginosa mutant unable to produce this second type of toxin, fails to kill both mice and C. elegans effectively. The goal of my research is to identify this small-molecule toxin using biochemical methods and genome-wide expression studies.
The use of a genetically tractable organism such as C. elegans also makes possible the identification of host proteins that interact with bacterial virulence factors. I will screen for C. elegans mutants that are more sensitive or more resistant to killing by this unidentified toxin. These interacting host/pathogen gene products will be critical for biochemical and cell-biological studies to determine, in molecular terms, the mechanisms by which this toxin kills both nematodes and mammals.