Focusing on ribonucleotide reductase enzymes, which are essential for cell division with a high fidelity duplication of DNA – a critical step in the life cycle all types of organisms – the researchers studied the expression of each of these type of enzymes during aerobic and anaerobic growth of P. aeruginosa and their role during infection.
Image: Green fluorescence protein expression under the nrdAB promoter region in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
“Ribonucleotide reductases control the only pathway to the deoxyribonucleotides which are required for DNA synthesis and repair,” explains Eduard. “By studying them, we were able to examine the shift in expression of each during the infection process and so determine which ones in particular could be considered a good target to inhibit the growth of P. aeruginosa in chronic cases.”
Source article: Sjöberg, B-M & Torrents, E. (2011). Shift in ribonucleotide reductase gene expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa during infection. Infect Immun, in press
