In vivo characterization of the Xanthomonas citri - Dictyostelium discoideum dynamics and the function of candidate anti-eukaryotic effectors

• Grant number: 22/15160-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Agreement: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
• Principal Investigator: Cristina Elisa Alvarez Martinez
• Grantee: Natalia Carolina Drebes Dorr
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/06555-3 - Molecular mechanisms of the Xanthomonas citri resistance to Dictyostelium discoideum predation and the role of the type VI secretion system, AP.R

Abstract

Bacterial type six secretion systems (T6SS) are multiprotein complexes involved in the translocation of toxins and/or effector proteins directly to prokaryotic or eukaryotic target cells, playing roles is antibacterial competition, virulence and resistance to eukaryotic predators. The Xanthomonas citri T6SS is an anti-eukaryotic device that is required for resistance to predation by the soil amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. This project aims to characterize the fate of X. citri during interactions with D. discoideum and the role of four genes that encode candidate anti-eukaryotic effectors in these interactions. For that, we will evaluate the phenotypes of mutant strains in genes of interest during co-incubation with amoeba cells and the effects of ectopic expression of the candidate genes in D. discoideum. We will also develop new approaches to detect protein secretion in vivo and in vitro. Results from this study may reveal new routes of bacteria escape from environmental predators. (AU)