The trial lecture is: "LPS receptors and sensing in nature".
Time and place: April.25, 2022 10:15 AM, Zoom
The events will be live streamed using Zoom. The host of the session will moderate the technicalities while the chair of the defence will moderate the events.
Ex auditorio questions: The chair of the defence will invite the audience to ask ex auditorio questions either written or oral. This can be requested by clicking "Participants" followed by clicking "Raise hand".
The events opens for participation just before they start, and closes for new participants approximately 15 minutes after it has begun.
Main research findings
Antimicrobial resistance is becoming a global health-threat, prompting the development of new methods to combat bacterial infections. In order to develop such methods, we need a greater understanding of the underlying processes of the bacterial life cycle and infection. In this thesis, I focus on the surface envelope of Gram-negative bacteria, termed the outer membrane (OM). The OM is asymmetric, composed of an inner phospholipid layer and outer layer composed of glycolipids termed lipopolysaccharides (LPS). In order to maintain essential cellular functions and interact with its host during infection, the bacterium must secrete proteins across the OM to the surface. In order to achieve this, bacteria have developed a range of general secretion systems, responsible for bringing the proteins to the surface.
The aim of this thesis was to study the biogenesis and secretion of the Type 5c secretion system, and the role of LPS in this process. Here it was demonstrated that T5cSS secretion is initiated by the formation of a hairpin loop, in a similar fashion as other members of the Type 5 secretion system family. Further investigation of the role LPS in secretion led to a serendipitous discovery of a small coiled-coil peptide that binds LPS with high affinity. Upon realizing the potential uses for the peptide in biotechnology, the discovery sidetracked our plans, to rather characterize this interaction. Additionally, the heat-labile enterotoxin was studied with the aim of elucidating how it interacts with LPS during secretion and toxin delivery.
Adjudication committee
Professor Håvard Jenssen, Roskilde University
Professor Christoph Mayer, University of Tübingen
Professor emeritus Reidun Kavli Sirevåg, University of Oslo
Chair of defence
Professor Rein Aasland, University of Oslo
Supervisors
Professor Dirk Linke, University of Oslo
Professor Ute Krengel, University of Oslo