Scientists Discover The Possible Triggers For Bacterial Pathogens, Opening The Door For New Treatment Strategies
Published:01 Nov.2023 Source:University of Nevada, Las Vegas
A team of interdisciplinary scientists, led by professor and microbiologist Helen Wing, focuses on Shigella -- a lethal bacterial pathogen that causes abdominal cramping, fever, and diarrhea. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that Shigella cases lead to 600,000 deaths globally each year.
Shigella contains a major 'switch' protein (VirB), which triggers the bacterium to cause disease in humans. VirB does this by binding to Shigella's DNA, activating the disease. The researchers showed that it is possible that interfering with VirB's binding process can prevent Shigella from making us sick.
The study was published Sept. 20 in the microbiology journal mBIO. "When molecular substitutions are made in VirB, this protein loses the ability to turn on virulence genes in Shigella, therefore making Shigella non-infectious," said Taylor Gerson, a fourth-year Ph.D. student at UNLV and the study's first author.
Traditionally, proteins that control how harmful a disease is, such as VirB, have been underappreciated. The goal of the team's microbiology lab is to better understand these 'switch' proteins, which turn an otherwise harmless bacteria into an aggressive pathogen.