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Chemistry & Biochemistry Colloquium – Professor Andy Gulick SUNY at Buffalo – Hosted By: Nicholas Silvaggi –

April 28, 2017 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

“Multiple Strategies for Iron Acquisition: Synthesis of Siderophores With and Without Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases”

By: Andrew Gulick
Hauptman-Woodward Institute
Buffalo, New York

Abstract

Most bacteria require µM concentrations of iron to grow. Many environments, including those encountered when establishing an infection, present iron limiting conditions. To overcome this challenge, bacteria produce low molecular weight siderophores that are secreted into the environment. Upon complexing with iron, the siderophores are transported back into the cell to support bacterial growth. Many siderophores are produced by the action of Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases (NRPSs), a family of modular enzymes that produce peptide natural products using an assembly line architecture. During NRPS biosynthesis, amino acid substrates and nascent peptides are covalently bound to a carrier protein domain that delivers the intermediates to neighboring catalytic domains. We have recently determined structures of several multidomain NRPS enzymes that offer insight into the structural features that govern this fascinating modular structural mechanism. Additionally we have recently demonstrated that aerobactin, a siderophore that is produced in a NRPS-independent manner, is critical for the growth and virulence of certain strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae. We are biochemically and structurally analyzing the enzymes of the aerobactin biosynthesis with a long-term goal of blocking this key virulence related pathway.

Hosted By: Dr. Nick Silvaggi

Details

Date:
April 28, 2017
Time:
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Venue

Chemistry Room 190
3210 N. Cramer Street
Milwaukee, 53211

Organizer

Kevin Blackburn
Phone
414-229-3880