Description:

Title: Peptidoglycan Breakdown in Neisseria Infections

Speaker: Joseph P. Dillard, PhD

Professor and Vice-Chair
Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Host: Hank Seifert, PhD

Topic:

Neisseria species release small fragments of the bacterial cell wall that are generated as the bacteria go through normal growth and division processes, and in N. gonorrhoeae infections, these peptidoglycan fragments cause an inflammatory response leading to Fallopian tube damage and infertility. Our research into the mechanisms of peptidoglycan breakdown have revealed how these inflammtory molecules are made and modified, how the process is regulated, and steps in peptidoglycan breakdown that could be targeted for the development of antimicrobials.