Identification of the effectors of Rickettsia rickettsii type IV secretion system

• Grant number: 18/00652-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2018
• End date: July 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Entomology and Malacology of Parasites and Vectors
• Principal Investigator: Andréa Cristina Fogaça
• Grantee: Daniel Brisotto Pavanelo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/26450-2 - Molecular characterization of the interactions among ticks, rickettsiae and vertebrate hosts, AP.TEM

Abstract

Gram-negative bacteria use the Type 4 Secretion System (T4SS) to translocate effectors (DNA and proteins) to the host cell cytosol, where they play different roles, avoiding bacterial elimination and ensuring replication. The gene modulation of T4SS components has already been described in R. rickettsii infecting organs of its tick vector Amblyomma aureolatum exposed to different environmental stimuli. T4SS effectors from other intracellular bacteria have been reported, such as Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. marginale and Ehrlichia chaffeensis. However, no effector of R. rickettsii T4SS has been described so far. Thus, the objective of the present project is to identify the effectors of R. rickettsii T4SS in order to elucidate the role of these molecules in the colonization of the host cell. (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)

FOGACA, ANDREA C.; SOUSA, GESSICA; PAVANELO, DANIEL B.; ESTEVES, ELIANE; MARTINS, LARISSA A.; URBANOVA, VERONIKA; KOPACEK, PETR; DAFFRE, SIRLEI. Tick Immune System: What Is Known, the Interconnections, the Gaps, and the Challenges. FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY, v. 12, MAR 2 2021. (13/26450-2, 18/00652-1, 19/07122-0)