Functional analysis of a bacterial contributor to coughing fits in whooping cough

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K19124
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Bacteriology (including mycology)
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Nakamura Keiji 九州大学, 医学研究院, 学術研究員 (60706216)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 百日咳 / 発作性咳嗽 / 気管支敗血症菌 / 実験動物モデル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection, which is characterized by coughing of infected hosts. The causative agents and mechanism of the coughing remain unknown. In the present study, the gene cx (Cough X, a tentative name), which was newly found as one of bacterial factors associated with the coughing, was characterized. The coughing animal models with living bacteria or bacterial lysates indicated that the protein CX, which is the cx gene transcript, probably regulate expression of unknown bacterial causative agents in infected hosts. Moreover, these models revealed that another known bacterial regulator also controls the expression of the agents during in vitro culture. Several candidates causing the coughing were found by searching the downstream genes of the two regulators with the coughing animal models. Further analysis about these candidates potentially leads to identify the genuine bacterial coughing factors.

Free Research Field

細菌学