# Ethanolamine utilizing bacterial microcompartments in host cells

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · 2021 · $195,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Within host environments, ethanolamine (EA) can serve as a key source of carbon, nitrogen and/or energy for
those bacteria that encode the EA-utilizing (eut) genes necessary for its catabolism. In many of the pathogens
in which it has been studied, EA utilization positively contributes to survival and pathogenicity. Many EA-
utilizing bacteria also encode for the formation of an organelle-like, protein-bound structure called a bacterial
microcompartment (BMC) in which EA catabolism takes place. Currently, there is a critical lack of knowledge
regarding how EA is derived and when and where EA catabolism is utilized in host cells. Our long-term goal is
to understand EA utilization in bacteria. The objective of this application is to elucidate key gaps in Eut BMC
dynamics and EA catabolism with a focus on the intracellular environment. The central hypothesis is that
BMCs assemble within the host cell phagosome and derive EA by catabolism of PEA. Specific Aim #1 will
identify when and where BMCs are formed within host cells. L. monocytogenes is a natural intracellular
pathogen that escapes the phagocytic phagosome to replicate in the host cell cytoplasm. Based on strong
preliminary data, it is postulated that the Eut BMCs form in the phagosome. Specific Aim #2 will elucidate
how EA is derived from phospholipid sources. The hypothesis is that bacteria that utilize EA obtain it by
breakdown of PEA and therefore encode the enzymes necessary for PEA catabolism. Candidate genes were
identified and preliminary studies of one demonstrated its role in EA utilization. Overall, this study will
significantly impact the fields of BMC biology, EA utilization and host-pathogen interactions. Additionally,
because it will identify the bacterial enzymes necessary to generate EA, potential targets for antimicrobial
development will be pinpointed. The proposed research is conceptually innovative in that it seeks to decipher
BMC dynamics in host cells. Moreover, it will examine how EA becomes available in host cells, an unasked
question that has largely been swept under the rug by the field.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10385013
- **Project number:** 1R21AI167124-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Danielle A Garsin
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $195,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-24 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10385013

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10385013, Ethanolamine utilizing bacterial microcompartments in host cells (1R21AI167124-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10385013. Licensed CC0.

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