Research Support Office, Okayama University of Science 
Faculty of Life Science, Department of Medical Technology
- Professor
- Seiichi KATAYAMA
- Research Field
Bacteriology, Bacterial Molecular Genetics
- Keyword(s)
Clostridium perfrigens, Regulation of Production of a-toxin, Fibronectin-binding Proteins, Pili
- Research theme
-
- Effect of phased A-tracts sequence on a-toxin production.
- Identification and functional analysiss of Clostridium perfringens fibronectin-binding protein.
- A study of novel pili in Clostridium perfringens.
Outline of research activities
Clostridium perfringens is a bacterium that causes gas gangrene and food poisoning. a-toxin (phospholipase C) is a pathogenic factor in gas gangrene. We showed which amino acids in the C-terminal domain of the αsubunit (αCTD) of RNA polymerase interact with the phased A-tracts DNA upstream of the promoter of a-toxin gene. The autolytic enzyme autolysin of C. perfrignes was identified as one of the fibronectin-binding proteins. In addition, through joint research, we were able to determine the three-dimensional structure of CppA, a pili-constituting protein.
- Desired cooperation
-
- Three-dimensional structure analyses of the phased A-tracts DNA and the fibronectin-binding proteins, and analysis of immuno-electron microscopic images of the pili,etc.