Award
NIH Reporter #1F31AI186548-01A1
Dissecting mechanisms of actin pedestal formation induced by Enterohemorrhagic E. coli.
Recipient
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
Award Amount
$35,582.00
Ceiling
$35,582.00
Awarded
July 27, 2026
Identifier
1F31AI186548-01A1
Research project funded by NIAID to study the mechanisms of actin pedestal formation by EHEC bacteria, focusing on the role of the host protein IRTKS in bacterial attachment and actin assembly.
Description
This project aims to elucidate the role of IRTKS domains in EHEC infection mechanisms, focusing on bacterial attachment and actin pedestal formation. Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a foodborne pathogen that breaches the intestinal epithelium and causes outbreaks of bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome. The project will investigate how the I-BAR and WH2 domains of the host protein IRTKS promote Tir-mediated EHEC attachment and subsequent actin pedestal assembly, using state-of-the-art microscopy and biochemical methods.