Regulation of nutrient uptake and catabolism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1
P. aeruginosa, a versatile ubiquitous Gram-negative bacterium and opportunistic plant, animal and insect pathogen, has a phenomenal capacity to adapt to different environments and degrades a wide variety of different organic molecules as carbon, nitrogen and energy sources. This is not surprising as its genome contains an unusually large number of genes for catabolism, nutrient transport and metabolic regulation. The metabolic flexibility of P. aeruginosa allows the bacterium to adapt to changes in carbon and nitrogen availability in its environment.
Our aim is to study the mechanisms controlling the adaptation of P. aeruginosa PAO1 to its environment, and particularly the regulation of nutrient uptake and catabolism in PAO1. We are currently investigating the C(4)-dicarboxylate transport systems, PAO1 prefered carbon and energy sources.We are also characterizing novel sRNAs involved in the regulation of the utilisation of carbon and nitrogen sources by this bacterium.
