Cover: The structure of the N-terminal thioredoxin domain of human glutaredoxin Grx3 solved by NMR spectroscopy. Abstract This thesis focuses on protein structure, dynamics and interaction and their relation to human disease. In particular, the biophysical and structural properties of both well-ordered and partially disordered proteins are studied using a range of biophysical techniques such as...

It is generally assumed that the acquisition of antibiotic resistance is associated with a fitness cost. We have shown that overexpression of the MexEF-OprN efflux pump does not decrease the fitness of a resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain compared to its wild-type counterpart. This lack of fitness cost was associated with a metabolic rewiring that includes increased expression of the anaer...

The Escherichia coli AcrB efflux pump is a resistance-nodulation-division (RND) pump that recognizes many unrelated compounds (9, 10). AcrB forms a complex with AcrA and TolC and is the single most important contributor to multidrug resistance in E. coli. Crystallographic models suggest that AcrB forms an asymmetric trimer in which each protomer corresponds to a distinct functional state of a p...

(VRE) are very serious problems because of the resistance against not only vancomycin but also many types of antimicrobials. Although enterococci are less virulent, they cause nosocomial infections. VRE was noted from the U.K. and France at first, and then they have become one of the most important nosocomial pathogens worldwide. In the case of the United States, the percentage of VRE in entero...

The Journal of Clinical Investigation | November 2003 | Volume 112 | Number 10 Quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative organism that is commonly found in soil and water. Although P. aeruginosa can survive under multiple harsh conditions, it is an opportunistic pathogen and is only able to infect hosts with defective immune system function, such as that...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a prevalent nosocomial pathogen (1) and a threat in neonatal and intensive care units, causing deadly infections in ventilator-associated pneumonia or immunosuppressed patients. P. aeruginosa strains causing these infections are frequently multiresistant, and treatment is a nightmare for clinicians (2). P. aeruginosa colonizing the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients can...

The Escherichia coli AcrB efflux pump is a resistance-nodulation-division (RND) pump that recognizes many unrelated compounds (9, 10). AcrB forms a complex with AcrA and TolC and is the single most important contributor to multidrug resistance in E. coli. Crystallographic models suggest that AcrB forms an asymmetric trimer in which each protomer corresponds to a distinct functional state of a p...

The use of radiolabeled antibiotics is an emergent technique for the diagnosis of infection due to the agents’ abilities to differentiate between septic and aseptic inflammation (3, 11). The usefulness of technetium-99m (Tc)-ciprofloxacin to diagnose infections with orthopedic devices or to identify the source of an infectious fever of unknown origin has been described previously. However, the ...