William Picking - Associate Professor of Molecular Biosciences, KU
Shigella bacteria are agents of infectious diarrhea, one of
the most serious worldwide public health problems. The Shigella organism invades
the epithelial and submucosal layers of the colon. Their invasion of
intestinal epithelial cells induces actin polymerization on the inner face of
the host membrane, resulting in the formation of membrane ruffles that trap
the pathogen within a membrane-bound vacuole. The invasion plasmid antigens B,
C and D are required for Shigella invasion, but little
information is available on the structure or function of these proteins.
Picking's research is directed at identifying important properties of
purified invasion plasmid antigen C (IpaC), a central component of the
epithelial cell invasion machinery of Shigella species. By better
understanding IpaC's role in cellular invasion by Shigella, Picking hopes to
develop methods of blocking the Shigella bacterium.