Dr. Lark J. Perez
November 1, 2017
11:00 – 11:50 am
C – 121
“Investigations of Chemical Signaling in Bacterial Pathogens”
Abstract:
Bacterial and mammalian cells carefully regulate cellular processes using chemical signaling. In mammalian cells, one example of chemical signaling regulation is in the resolution of inflammation triggered by the small-molecule Lipoxin A4. Bacterial pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa regulate virulence factor expression and biofilm formation through their own specialized chemical signaling pathways using a process commonly known as quorum sensing (QS). I will describe our discovery of the sensing of the mammalian signaling molecule Lipoxin A4 by P. aeruginosa and our investigations into the inhibition of QS-regulated virulence in this bacteria.