B.Sc., University of British Columbia M.Sc., Simon Fraser University Ph.D., Simon Fraser University

Type IV pili and related virulence factors

We are interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning bacterial virulence. How do bacteria assemble and secrete virulence factors that allow them to colonise a host and cause disease? We apply x-ray crystallography, electron microscopy and genetic analysis to obtain atomic level structure/function information on molecules and molecular machines that impart virulence on bacterial pathogens. This information will guide the development of antimicrobial therapies aimed to disarm rather than kill bacteria in order to minimize antibiotic resistance.

Ng, D, Harn, T, Altindal, T, Kolappan, S, Marles, JM, Lala, R, Spielman, I, Gao, Y, Hauke, CA Kovacikova, G., Verjee, Z, Taylor, RK, Biais, N and Craig, L (2016). The Vibrio cholerae minor pilin TcpB initiates assembly and retraction of the toxin-coregulated pilus. PLoS Pathogens, ePub ahead of print. http://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1006109 Kolappan, S, Coureuil, M Yu, X, Nassif, X, Egelman, EH and Craig, L (2016). Structure of the Neisseria meningitidis Type IV pilus. Nat Commun. 7:13015. Doi 10.1038/ncomms13015. http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms13015 Kolappan, S, Ng, D, Yang, G, Harn, T and Craig, L (2015). Crystal Structure of the minor pilin CofB, the initiator of CFA/III pilus assembly in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. J. Biol Chem, 290, 25805-25818. http://www.jbc.org/content/290/43/25805.long