Influence of RNA-mediated gene regulation on Streptococcus pneumoniae host-to-host transmission and interbacterial communication

The bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common coloniser of the upper respiratory tract. Because of its ability to cause a range of invasive and non-invasive diseases, it is classified as a major pathogen.

Even though a lot of research has been conducted on its pathogenesis, the field of RNA-mediated gene regulation has been widely overlooked.

The research in this proposal will focus to investigate the impact of regulatory RNA in the transmission of S. pneumoniae.The first project aims to further our understanding in the RNA thermosensor (RNAT) that controls the expression of the S. pneumoniae capsule. The capsule was shown to have an effect on shedding of S. pneumoniae through nasal secretions.

With a unique infant mouse transmission model, I will test whether the S. pneumoniae capsular RNAT is involved in host-to-host transmission.The second project aims to identify and characterise non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) involved in the quorum sensing mechanism of competence in S. pneumoniae. An important outcome of competence is that resident S. pneumoniae strains kill S. pneumoniae which are not competent.

I plan to research the regulation of this mechanism in detail by identifying and characterising ncRNAs from an existing RNA sequencing dataset. This data was obtained from S. pneumoniae that were in the state of competence.

The proposal aims to identify pathways where transmission of S. pneumoniae could be influenced to control outbreaks of virulent strains.