A5090925805- Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- DNA Repair Mechanisms
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Escherichia coli research studies
- Urinary Tract Infections Management
- Gut microbiota and health
- Enzyme Structure and Function
- Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
- DNA and Nucleic Acid Chemistry
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Protein Structure and Dynamics
- Cellular transport and secretion
- Urinary Bladder and Prostate Research
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
- Extracellular vesicles in disease
- Paleopathology and ancient diseases
- Neutrophil, Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative Mechanisms
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Hippo pathway signaling and YAP/TAZ
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
University of Technology Sydney
2016-2025
Medical Research Council
2006-2014
MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
2014
The University of Sydney
1999-2012
University of Oxford
2008-2012
Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology
2012
Hutchison/MRC Research Centre
2007-2010
MRC Cancer Unit
2007-2010
Children's Medical Research Institute
2007
Some microbes display pleomorphism, showing variable cell shapes in a single culture, whereas others differentiate to adapt changed environmental conditions. The pleomorphic archaeon Haloferax volcanii commonly forms discoid-shaped (‘plate’) cells but may also be present as rods, and can develop into motile rods soft agar, or longer filaments certain biofilms. Here we report improvement of H. growth both semi-defined complex media by supplementing with eight trace element micronutrients....
Since their discovery, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have changed our view on how organisms interact with world. EVs are able to traffic a diverse array of molecules across different species and even domains, facilitating numerous functions. In this study, we investigate EV production in
In order to characterize the genome-wide transcriptional response of hyperthermophilic, aerobic crenarchaeote Sulfolobus solfataricus UV damage, we used high-density DNA microarrays which covered 3,368 genetic features encoded on host genome, as well genes several extrachromosomal elements. While no significant up-regulation potentially involved in direct damage reversal was observed, a specific involving 55 could be dissected. Although flow cytometry showed only modest perturbation cell...
Archaeal cell biology is an emerging field expected to identify fundamental cellular processes, help resolve the deep evolutionary history of life, and contribute new components functions in biotechnology synthetic biology. To facilitate these, we have developed plasmid vectors that allow convenient cloning production proteins fusion with flexible, rigid, or semi-rigid linkers model archaeon Haloferax volcanii . For protein subcellular localization studies using fluorescent (FP) tags,...
One mechanism for achieving accurate placement of the cell division machinery is via Turing patterns, where nonlinear molecular interactions spontaneously produce spatiotemporal concentration gradients. The resulting patterns are dictated by shape. For example, Min system Escherichia coli shows oscillation between poles, leaving a mid-cell zone division. universality pattern-forming mechanisms in divisome currently unclear. We examined location plane two pleomorphic archaea, Haloferax...
Pathogenic mycobacteria actively dysregulate protective host immune signalling pathways during infection to drive the formation of permissive granuloma microenvironments. Dynamic regulation microRNA (miRNA) expression is a conserved feature mycobacterial infections across host-pathogen pairings. Here we examine role miR-206 in zebrafish model Mycobacterium marinum infection, which allows investigation early stages formation. We find upregulated following by pathogenic M. and that...
Abstract During infection of bladder epithelial cells, uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) can stop dividing and grow into highly filamentous forms. Here, we find that some filaments E. UTI89 released from infected cells very rapidly by more than 100 μm before initiating division, whereas others do not survive, suggesting infection-related filamentation (IRF) is a stress response promotes bacterial dispersal. IRF accompanied unstable, dynamic repositioning FtsZ division rings. In contrast,...
Abstract Archaeal CetZ cytoskeletal proteins are a major group of the tubulin superfamily involved in development motile rod-shaped cells. In model archaeon Haloferax volcanii , it has been unknown whether CetZs contribute to motility solely through effects rod cell shape on swimming speed, or other ways too. Here, we used cryo-electron and fluorescence microscopy observe surface filaments assembly machinery cells carrying cetZ1 cetZ2 deletion, overexpression, dominant GTPase-deficient...
Abstract DPANN archaea are a diverse group of microorganisms characterised by small cells and reduced genomes. To date, all cultivated ectosymbionts that require direct cell contact with an archaeal host species for growth survival. However, these interactions their impact on the poorly understood. Here, we show archaeon ( Candidatus Nanohaloarchaeum antarcticus) engages in parasitic its Halorubrum lacusprofundi ) result lysis. During interactions, nanohaloarchaeon appears to enter, or be...
The "baby machine" provides a means of generating synchronized cultures minimally perturbed cells. We describe the use this technique to establish key cell-cycle parameters hyperthermophilic archaea genus Sulfolobus. 3 DNA replication origins Sulfolobus acidocaldarius were mapped by 2D gel analysis near 0 (oriC2), 579 (oriC1), and 1,197 kb (oriC3) on 2,226-kb circular genome, we present direct demonstration their activity within first few minutes synchronous cell cycle. also detected...
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the leading cause of urinary tract infections. These bacteria undertake a multistage infection cycle involving invasion and proliferation within epithelial cells, to rupture host cell dispersal bacteria, some which have highly filamentous morphology. Here, we established microfluidics-based model UPEC immortalized human bladder cells that recapitulates main stages bacterial morphological changes during acute in vivo allows development fate individual...
Tubulin superfamily (TSF) proteins are widespread, and known for their multifaceted roles as cytoskeletal underpinning many basic cellular functions, including morphogenesis, division, motility. In eukaryotes, tubulin assembles into microtubules, a major component of the dynamic network fibres, whereas bacterial homolog FtsZ division ring at midcell. The functions lesser-known archaeal TSF beginning to be identified show surprising diversity, homologs well third archaea-specific family,...
Abstract Tubulin superfamily (TSF) proteins include the well-known eukaryotic tubulin and bacterial FtsZ families, lesser-known archaeal CetZ family. In eukaryotes bacteria, GTP-dependent polymerization self-association of protofilaments are integral to formation cytoskeletal structures with essential roles in cell division, growth, morphology. Archaeal CetZs implicated control shape motility through unknown mechanisms. Here, we reveal a sequence subcellular localization patterns CetZ1,...
Summary In prokaryotes the genome is organized in a dynamic structure called nucleoid, which embedded cytoplasm. We show here that archaeon H aloferax volcanii , compaction and reorganization of nucleoid induced by stresses damage or interfere with its replication. The fraction cells exhibiting was proportional to dose DNA damaging agent, results obtained defective for nucleotide excision repair suggest breakage strands triggers nucleoid. observed depends on Mre11‐Rad50 complex, suggesting...
In recent years, fluorescence microscopy techniques for the localization and tracking of single molecules in living cells have become well-established are indispensable tools investigation cellular biology vivo biochemistry many bacterial eukaryotic organisms. Nevertheless, these still not established imaging archaea. Their establishment as a standard tool study archaea will be decisive milestone exploration this branch life its unique biology. Here, we developed reliable protocol archaeon...
MinD proteins are well studied in rod-shaped bacteria such as E. coli, where they display self-organized pole-to-pole oscillations that important for correct positioning of the Z-ring at mid-cell cell division. Archaea also encode belonging to family, but their functions unknown. homologous were found be widespread Euryarchaeota and form a sister group bacterial distinct from ParA other related ATPase families. We aimed identify function four archaeal model archaeon Haloferax volcanii....
Abstract Urinary tract infection (UTI), one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide, is a typical example an that often polymicrobial in nature. While overall course known on macroscale, behavior not fully understood at cellular level and pathophysiology during multispecies well characterized. Here, using clinically relevant bacteria, human epithelial bladder cells urine, we establish co-infection models combined with high resolution imaging to compare single- multi-species cell...