Molecular function and signal transduction of the serine protease HtrA, a novel secreted effector protein of bacterial pathogens (B10)

• Subject Area: Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens
• Term: from 2013 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 52732026

Stable adhesion complexes are crucial for maintenance of healthy epithelia and represent the first barrier for microbial pathogens. We have recently identified a novel secreted effector in H. pylori, the protease HtrA, which can cleave the junctional proteins E-cadherin, claudin-8 and occludin. Our findings provide a potential novel mechanism how pathogens can destroy cellular junctions in order to get access to deeper tissues and trigger disease-associated processes. This project is therefore designed to pinpoint these novel HtrA targets and to study downstream signalling events.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 796: Reprogramming of Host Cells by Microbial Effectors
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Steffen Backert