The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded a $779,235 Project Grant under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) to conduct research on the mechanisms and consequences of cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) regulation of motility and biofilm formation in Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera.
The key objectives of this 5-year research project are to: 1) determine how c-di-GMP and associated enzymes modulate the flagellum and motility in V. cholerae, 2) examine the molecular mechanisms through which c-di-GMP controls the production and activity of the type IV pili that mediate surface attachment and biofilm formation, and 3) dissect the role of c-di-GMP signaling in V. cholerae infection. The findings from this research are expected to provide molecular and mechanistic insights into c-di-GMP signal transduction pathways governing motility and biofilm formation, which could lead to new strategies for disrupting biofilms and controlling motility in V. cholerae and other pathogens.