Mapping cell wall and surface structures of Gram-positive cocci (2009-2011)
Abstract
A cornerstone of all microbiological practices is the understanding of the bacterial cell wall. This macromolecular structure provides the microbial cell with structural integrity, shape adherence, locomotion and is the interface between the microbe and the environment. Recent experimental data describes a novel secretion domain termed the ExPortal, as well as a number of anchorless cell wall proteins, point to a hitherto uncharacterised transport and secretion system in the Gram-positive cocci. The goal of this project is to use molecular microbiology and state of the art mass spectrometry techniques to analyse the cell wall components and their structural organization in a model Gram-positive cocci.
