Remodeling of inter-organelle communication during Chlamydia infection

University Of Virginia, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

SUMMARY Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading cause of sexually transmitted infections of bacterial origin. No vaccine is available. Infections are often asymptomatic, leading to long-term damage of the reproductive organs and deleterious effects on women reproductive health ranging from pelvic inflammatory disease to infertility. For successful infection, Chlamydia actively modulates the function of nearly all host organelles. However, the molecular mechanisms involved are poorly understood and all studies performed to date have focused on host organelles in isolation. Here, we aim to consider that modulation of inter-organelle communication may be the mechanism by which Chlamydia rewire organelles function to create an intracellular niche favorable for intracellular replication. To this aim, our strong team of collaborators will provide the first initial holistic view of inter-organelle communication during Chlamydia infection, by using novel and state of the art techniques and approaches. Altogether, we will determine which, when, and how organelle-organelle interactions are modulated by Chlamydia, and reveal how perturbation impacts function. Our studies have the potential to identify novel targets to combat Chlamydia infection and to make a mark on the field of inter-organelle communication in the context of host-pathogen interactions.