EBP: Comparative analysis of proteome modulation in human pathogenic bacteria for the identification of new vaccines, diagnostics and antibacterial drug targets

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 00.0422-1

Key words (English)

Proteome; transcriptome; pathogenic bacteria; vaccine; diagnostics; antibacterial drug targets; Life Sciences; Medicine; Health; Safety; Scientific Research; Social Aspects

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: QLK2-2000-01536

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.1.2 Control of infectious diseases

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: Chiron SpA, Siena (I)

Abstract (English)

The EBP network is formed by a consortium of 10 European Research Institutions and Universities from 8 European countries and is co-ordinated by an industrial partner. In the 2 year funding period the consortium intends to perform pilot studies on comparative analysis of proteome and transcriptome modulation of bacterial pathogens in physiologically relevant conditions, with the scope of exploring if the implementation of state-of-the-art proteomic and transcriptomic techniques can lead to a rapid identification of eligible protein or gene candidates for future health-care product development. Six bacteria which are important human pathogens are studied: Helicobacter pylori, Chlamydia, Neisseria meningitidis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Bartonella henselae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. These six pathogens have differences in life style (e.g. extracellular vs. facultative or obligate intracellular replication) and pathogenicity (e.g. chronic vs. acute infections) but they are all relevant for human health, and present still outstanding problems for either treatment or protection against the diseases they cause. For all of them the availability of at least one full genome sequence to the network partners ensures an optimal application of existing techniques for proteome and transcriptome analysis. The network partners are performing comparative functional proteome analyses using different technical approaches according to the biology of the individual bacteria. Annotation of 2-DE protein maps, using mass spectrometry analysis linked to genomic data bases, 2D immunoblotting, and parallel transcript analyses with whole genome DNA microarrays are used to compare proteomes and transcriptomes expressed in diverse physiologically relevant conditions (including epidemiologically generated diversity) or in mutants with altered pathogenicity phenotypes, and to identify surface exposed and/or immunogenic proteins. A further goal is to collect the data obtained in different network laboratories with common criteria, and eventually convey them in a newly designed database, recording proteome and transcriptome modulation in pathogenic bacteria, which will be available to the scientific community for further data mining.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 00.0422-1