# RNA-binding proteins in bacterial virulence and host-pathogen interactions

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2024 · $477,686

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 The ability of bacteria to rapidly sense and respond to changes in the environment is fundamental
to colonization. Post-transcriptional regulation is emerging as an important strategy that promotes
efficient and precise control of bacterial virulence, and thus plays a central role in pathogenesis.
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC) is a bacterial pathogen that colonizes the
human colon and causes severe hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which
can be fatal. EHEC is able to efficiently acquire nutrients and coordinate expression of traits that
promote intestinal colonization, suggesting that EHEC has evolved mechanisms to spatiotemporally
control virulence gene expression to occur within appropriate host niches. RNA binding proteins play
important roles in bacterial gene expression by modulating transcription termination, RNA stability,
and translation; however, the targets and molecular mechanisms of most RNA binding proteins and
the corresponding impact on bacterial virulence and host interactions are poorly resolved. The
proposed work will elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of RNA binding proteins and importance to
fitness within the intestine, as well as examine how these RNA binding proteins are activated within
transcriptional networks and in response to host cues.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10764322
- **Project number:** 5R01AI162696-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Melissa Kendall
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $477,686
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-01-14 → 2027-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10764322

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10764322, RNA-binding proteins in bacterial virulence and host-pathogen interactions (5R01AI162696-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10764322. Licensed CC0.

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