Molecular and genetic characterization of new non-coding RNAs and their targets related to the starvation stress response of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

• Grant number: 15/19400-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: March 01, 2016
• End date: February 28, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Anderson de Souza Sant'Ana
• Grantee: Aline Crucello
• Supervisor: Glen Mark Borchert
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of South Alabama (USA), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/17387-8 - Identification and functional analysis of new genes and regulatory elements implicated in the survival and persistence of Salmonella enterica in low-water activity food, BP.PD

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), salmonellosis is one of the most common foodborne illnesses, being widely distributed in the world. Salmonellosis is transmitted by several serotypes of Salmonella and estimates point to approximately ten million cases each year worldwide, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Although the main foods involved in outbreaks of salmonellosis are of animal origin, mainly poultry / eggs and derivate products, there has recently been a significant increase in reports of salmonellosis outbreaks involving other types of food, like products ready for consumption (chocolate, herbs and peppers, chips, etc.). It is known that Salmonella, as well as other bacteria, has the ability to adapt to environmental changes, such as those occurring during food processing. Such adjustments may result in an increase in the cell resistance and even in Salmonella virulence when facing cell stress conditions, such as temperature changes, pH, nutrient limitation, low water activity, among others. However, the exact mechanisms that some bacteria use to survive under these unfavorable environmental conditions are not completely known yet. There are a number of non-coding RNAs highly expressed in stress conditions that potentially regulate the expression of key target genes, and though several of them are already known, many of these elements have yet to be identified. The purpose of this project is to expand the understanding of Salmonella survival mechanism under stress conditions, more precisely in starvation due to lack of nutrients such as a carbon-energy source. For this, molecular and genetic characterizations of non-coding RNAs (small RNAs) and their target genes that are regulated in nutritional stress conditions ("Starvation Stess Response" - SSR) will be performed. With the characterizations, we expect to elucidate the role of genetic elements essential to the survival and persistence of this important pathogen in food products and surfaces of industrial equipment. Such knowledge will be helpful to the development of effective control measures and reducing the incidence of salmonellosis associated with consumption of contaminated food. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

HOUSEROVA, DOMINIKA; DAHMER, DONOVAN J.; AMIN, SHIVAM V.; KING, VALERIA M.; BARNHILL, EMMALINE C.; ZAMBRANO, MIKE E.; DEAN, MEGHAN A.; CRUCELLO, ALINE; ARIA, KEVIN M.; SPECTOR, MICHAEL P.; et al. Characterization of 475 Novel, Putative Small RNAs (sRNAs) in Carbon-Starved Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium. ANTIBIOTICS-BASEL, v. 10, n. 3, MAR 2021. (15/19400-4, 14/17387-8)

BARNHILL, EMMALINE C.; CRUCELLO, ALINE; HOUSEROVA, DOMINIKA; KING, VALERIA M.; AMIN, SHIVAM V.; ROBERTS, JUSTIN T.; ZAMBRANO, MICHAEL E.; DEMEIS, JEFFREY D.; DAHMER, DONAVON J.; IJAZ, ZARA; et al. Characterization of novel small RNAs (sRNAs) contributing to the desiccation response of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. RNA BIOLOGY, v. 16, n. 11, AUG 2019. (15/19400-4, 14/17387-8)