Grant: CIHR New Investigator

Many bacteria produce membrane vesicles that may be used as "long distance rockets" loaded with toxins. It is believed that these vesicles play a role in the establishment of the infection. We work with two important bacterial pathogens, Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major cause of chronic gingivitis and recently implicated in pregnancy complications, and Salmonella typhimurium, one the most common agents that cause gastroenteritis world-wide. We have discovered that these bacteria can selectively pack toxins in these vesicles. The main goal of this project is to understand how the toxins are packed in the vesicles and to study the roles of the vesicles in pathogenesis. Achieving the goals may have an impact in human health by opening new opportunities for intervention against pathogenic bacteria. Understanding how proteins are selectively packed into vesicles may be useful to improve the current vesicles-based vaccines, which have been already used in humans in different parts of the world.