Elucidation of the mechanisms of substance-selective introduction into bacterial outer membrane vesicles

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K19551
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Pathology, Infection/Immunology, and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University (2018); The University of Tokyo (2017)
• Principal Investigator: Mimuro Hitomi 大阪大学, 微生物病研究所, 准教授 (80396887)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 細菌外膜小胞 / sRNA

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have analyzed whole genome sequence and RNA-seq of the experimental strain of Helicobacter pylori and found that H. pylori showed different expression patterns of bacterial small RNA (sRNA) in the outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) compared with that in whole bacterial cells. We identified an sRNA, which presented in relatively large amounts in OMV compared with whole bacterial cells. Furthermore, we identified a bacterial protein directly bound to the sRNA. Based on the analysis of the phenotype of the sRNA-deletion mutant, we found possibilities that the sRNA controlled the amounts of OMV. Moreover, we found the protein, which directly bound to the sRNA, was essential for the existence of the bacteria.

Free Research Field

細菌学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の結果、菌体sRNAを選択的にOMV内へ封入するメカニズムの存在が明らかとなり、OMV量の制御に関与するsRNAを同定した。今後、菌体がその生理的目的に応じてOMV内容物を能動的に変動させる分子機構が明らかになれば、新たな細菌生理学や細菌病原性研究の展開が可能となる。さらには、選択的OMV封入機構を利用した、新たな画期的ドラッグデリバリー技術への応用が期待できる。