Structural Analysis of Vibrio cholerae Virulence Gene Regulatory Proteins

According to the World Health Organization, each year there are an estimated 3 to 5 million cases of cholera, resulting in over 100,000 deaths. Cholera is caused by Vibrio cholerae, a pathogenic bacterium that utilizes a highly regulated transcriptional cascade to produce its two major virulence genes. These studies are designed to investigate the structural and functional characteristics of these regulatory proteins, and could lead to the development of therapeutics to treat or prevent cholera, as well as other enteric bacterial infections.

Fine tuning the catalytic cycle of kinesin motors

Motor proteins of the kinesin superfamily are involved in a wide variety of motile processes within cells, including vesicle transport in neurons, movement of cellular organelles, chromosome segregation, and regulation of microtubule dynamics. Defects in kinesins are observed in a number of diseases, and kinesin proteins are targets for anti-cancer, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal drugs. The current study seeks to understand the detailed mechanism of kinesin force generation, a necessary prerequisite for drug development.