The extracellular proteome of Sulfolobus
PhD ceremony: Mr. A.F. Ellen, 16.15 uur, Aula Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen
Dissertation: The extracellular proteome of Sulfolobus
Promotor(s): prof. A.J.M. Driessen
Faculty: Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Microorganisms secrete proteins in their environment that fulfill numerous functions. I made an inventory of the extracellular proteins in a group of microorganisms, called Sulfolobus, which live at 80°C and under acidic conditions. As it turns out Sulfolobus secretes relatively little protein into their environment. However, I discovered that vesicles that are released into their surrounding by Sulfolobus are associated with so-called ESCRT proteins. In higher organisms the ESCRT proteins are involved in cell division but they also play a role in creating vesicles in a cellular organel that is called the endosome. My research suggests that the roles of the ESCRT proteins are similar in Sulfolobus and higher organisms. I also discovered that two Sulfolbus species produce antimicrobial compounds that in the case of the species Sulfolobus tokodaii are associated with the extracellular vesicles. The identity of the antimicrobial compounds was previously not known in Sulfolobus but I discover the two proteins that are responsible for the antimicrobial activity. Both proteins are required for antimicrobial activity and they seem to represent a completely new group of antimicrobial proteins. Which of those two proteins is the actual antimicrobial protein remains to be discovered.
Last modified: | 13 March 2020 01.12 a.m. |
More news
-
20 January 2023
Carmem M. Gilardoni wins the Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa thesis prize 2022
Carmem M. Gilardoni wins the Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa thesis prize 2022
-
17 January 2023
The quest for the perfect paint
Hanneke Siebe is working on a fullly sustainable paint, based on gum arabic.
-
16 January 2023
In search of the coveted safer, better, longer-lasting battery: BatteryNL kicks off
On the 12th of January a large number of parties involved in the development of batteries in the Netherlands – small companies, multinationals and knowledge institutes – attended the kick off of the BatteryNL consortium. Their goal is to develop the...