Journal of Bacteriology & Parasitology

Stress response in Mycobacteria: Cell shape and survival

3^rd International Congress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases

August 04-06, 2015 Valencia, Spain

Leif A Kirsebom

Keynote: J Bacteriol Parasitol

Abstract:

Bacteria of the genus Mycobacterium are acid-fast, hardy and found to inhabit diverse environmental niches such as
ground and tap water, soil, animals and humans. The Mycobacterium genus includes non-pathogenic environmental
bacteria as well as opportunistic pathogens and highly successful human pathogens such as M. tuberculosis that causes TB.
The diversity of ecological niches inhabited by Mycobacterium spp. demands widely varied life styles with different growth
patterns and morphologies for different strains including planktonic growth, formation of biofilms and spores. They respond
to variation in the environment such as ageing culture, oxygen deprivation, heat or cold shocks, pH changes, exposure to
toxins/antibiotics or to the hostile immune system of the host cell by exhibiting altered growth and morphology. This ability to
switch to alternate lifestyles implies global shifts in the transcriptome. Our knowledge about the diversity of the morphological
variations undertaken by Mycobacterium spp. is rather limited and sporadic as is the underlying signals that induce the wideranging
pleiomorphism among Mycobacterium species. To understand the diversity of morphological variations shown
by Mycobacterium species we are studying different species and changes in their cell shape in response to different growth
conditions. Microscopy data for different Mycobacterium spp. where we used different staining techniques showing variation
in cell morphology will be presented. This will be followed by a discussion about new genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic
data for different Mycobacterium spp. with emphasis on genes expressed under different growth conditions.

Biography :

Leif A Kirsebom is a Professor in Biology and he received his PhD degree in Molecular Biology at Uppsala University 1985. After a Postdoctoral training 1986
through 1988 in Nobel Laureate Dr S Altmans laboratory at Yale University, USA, he started his own research group at Uppsala University. His research interests
are within the fields of RNA biology, the biology of mycobacteria and development of new antibiotics. He is the Director of BMC and the Vice Chancellor’s advisor
on international affairs at Uppsala University. Together with a colleague he started Bioimics AB, a small research company devoted to the development of new
antibiotics.