Session 1E: Exploring Whether the RID Effector Domain in the MARTX Toxin of Vibrio cholerae Is Sufficient to Downregulate the ERK Pathway
Session Number
Session 1E: 4th Presentation
Advisor(s)
Karla J.F. Satchell, Northwestern University
Location
Room A113
Start Date
28-4-2017 8:30 AM
End Date
28-4-2017 9:45 AM
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae is a gram negative bacterium that is spread through the fecal-oral route that can cause cholera when infected. It is commonly found in third world countries in contaminated water supplies. This study specifically looks into the Rho-Inactivation Domain (RID) effector domain found in the Multifunctional Autoprocessing Repeats-In-Toxin (MARTX) toxin found inside of the El Tor strain of this bacterium. The purpose of investigating RID is to see if it is sufficient enough to inhibit the Extracellular Signal–regulated Kinases(ERK) pathway, which may inhibit cytokines. To study this, HeLa cells were intoxicated with RID via a lethal factor/protective antigen delivery mechanism. Using these intoxications, western blots were performed with an antibody that detected the “on” form of ERK1/2 and another antibody that detected the “on and off” forms of ERK1/2. The western blots showed that RID is insufficient to downregulate ERK. The reason behind this can be due to insufficient amounts of ERK present in our samples. Therefore, future directions for this study involve activating ERK to increase the amount of ERK present.
Session 1E: Exploring Whether the RID Effector Domain in the MARTX Toxin of Vibrio cholerae Is Sufficient to Downregulate the ERK Pathway
Room A113
Vibrio cholerae is a gram negative bacterium that is spread through the fecal-oral route that can cause cholera when infected. It is commonly found in third world countries in contaminated water supplies. This study specifically looks into the Rho-Inactivation Domain (RID) effector domain found in the Multifunctional Autoprocessing Repeats-In-Toxin (MARTX) toxin found inside of the El Tor strain of this bacterium. The purpose of investigating RID is to see if it is sufficient enough to inhibit the Extracellular Signal–regulated Kinases(ERK) pathway, which may inhibit cytokines. To study this, HeLa cells were intoxicated with RID via a lethal factor/protective antigen delivery mechanism. Using these intoxications, western blots were performed with an antibody that detected the “on” form of ERK1/2 and another antibody that detected the “on and off” forms of ERK1/2. The western blots showed that RID is insufficient to downregulate ERK. The reason behind this can be due to insufficient amounts of ERK present in our samples. Therefore, future directions for this study involve activating ERK to increase the amount of ERK present.