Put the blame on BolA

Filed under: MOSTMICRO

ITQB NOVA researchers unveil a new factor involved in Salmonella virulence

Oeiras, 12.02.2018

BolA is a protein with important regulatory roles which is responsible for bacterial survival in late stages of growth and under harsh environmental conditions. A group of researchers from ITQB NOVA and Instituto Superior Técnico (Univ. de Lisboa) have just revealed its pivotal role in human pathogen Salmonella virulence, allowing bacteria to survive and overcome host defense mechanisms. The work was published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, American Society for Microbiology.

“We have been studying BolA protein in our lab for some time, with very interesting results. We have shown its role on biofilm formation and motility”, says Cecília Arraiano, one of the two main corresponding authors of the work and group leader of Control of Gene Expression Lab at ITQB NOVA. “The work we have published today is a relevant step towards the comprehension of BolA protein and may have an important impact for future studies in other organisms and contribute for future industrial and public healthcare applications.”