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Shan Jiang

Doctoral Researcher, PG Yuan
MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology
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Project: Structural insights into the histidine kinase PhoQ

Project summary:
The rising drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria is a global threat to our health system. Most traditional antibiotics kill bacteria, putting high selection pressure on their survival, leading to rapid adaptation and evolution. Instead of direct killing, one promising strategy to combat resistant pathogens is to control their pathogenicity by targeting virulence-regulating two-component systems. The PhoQ/PhoP two-component system is one of the signaling networks that regulate bacterial virulence. Extensive chemical library screening has been done to search for inhibitors of the PhoQ sensor kinase. However, the lack of structural information on PhoQ impedes further optimization of promising candidates and prevents innovative drug discovery. Here, I propose to provide the first full-length structures of PhoQ in complexes with MgrB and SafA in collaboration with the research groups led by Dr. Jan Schuller and Dr. Georg Hochberg and the facility by Dr. Wieland Steinchen. The outcome of this project is expected to make a significant impact in the field of bacterial signaling and may contribute to the solutions to the crisis of bacterial drug resistance.

Cooperation with: Jan Schuller, Wieland Steinchen (UMR), Georg Hochberg (MPI-TM)

Cooperation Partners