| Daniel J. Wozniak
Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
B.S., 1984 Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI
Ph.D., Ohio State University, 1989
Fellowship, 1992 University of Tennessee, Memphis |
My broad interests relate to bacterial molecular biology with an emphasison understanding the genetic and environmental control of virulence factors.
The major goal of our laboratory is to understand the molecular biology and pathogenesis of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This organism is particularly interesting since it is a common, yet serious opportunistic pathogen. Additionally, P. aeruginosa causes severe pulmonary infections in patients with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF) and failure to control these infections is the major cause of pulmonary debilitation in this group. We are currently investigating the biosynthesis and genetic regulation of a capsular polysaccharide called alginate, which plays a role in the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa since the production of alginate correlates with the ability of P. aeruginosa to cause chronic pulmonary disease in CF patients. There are several genes involved in alginate biosynthesis and this system is highly regulated. We are focusing on the roles of the response regulators AlgB and AlgR, the alternative sigma factor AlgT, a recently discovered DNA binding protein, AlgZ, and the histone-like protein integration host factor in alginate gene transcription. The processes which ultimately lead to alginate production involve at minimum, two component signal transduction, covalent protein modification, DNA bending and looping, transcriptional activation and DNA rearrangements. Understanding how these events are coordinated at the molecular level is a primary objective of the laboratory. |
Recent Publications (selected):
Garrett ES, Perlegas D, Wozniak DJ.: Negative control of flagellum synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is modulated by the alternative sigma factor AlgT (AlgU). J. Bacteriol. 181:7401-4 (1999).
Baynham PJ, Brown AL, Hall LL, Wozniak DJ.: Pseudomonas aeruginosa AlgZ, a ribbon-helix-helix DNA-binding protein, is essential for alginate synthesis and algD transcriptional activation. Mol. Microbiol. 33:1069-80 (1999).
Woolwine SC, Wozniak DJ.: Identification of an Escherichia coli pepA homolog and its involvement in suppression of the algB phenotype in mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J. Bacteriol. 181:107-16 (1999).
Baynham PJ, Wozniak DJ.: Identification and characterization of AlgZ, an AlgT-dependent DNA-binding protein required for Pseudomonas aeruginosa algD transcription. Mol. Microbiol. 22:97-108 (1996).
Richardson SH, Wozniak DJ.: An ace up the sleeve of the cholera bacterium. Nat. Med. 2:853-5 (1996). |