Description:

Title: MARTX Toxin Effector from Vibrio vulnificus Inhibits Cell Growth In Colon Cancer Cells

Speaker: Caleb Stubbs, Graduate Student, Driskill Graduate Program in the Life Sciences (DGP)

Host:  Karla Satchell, PhD

Topic:

The multifunctional-autoprocessing repeats-in-toxin (MARTX) is the main virulence factor found in Vibrio vulnificus. Secretion of the MARTX toxin unleashes several unique effector domains into host cells that can negatively affect cytoskeletal structure, cell proliferation, and cell survival. An effector found on the MARTX toxin of V. vulnificus, Ras/Rap1 specific endopeptidase (RRSP), has been shown to provide increased virulence in mice compared to strains lacking this effector. Our work focuses on elucidating the mechanisms behind RRSP disruption of Ras signaling and inhibition of cell growth in colon cancer cells.