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ZHAO-QING LUO
| Assistant Professor LILY 1-233 496-6697 CV: Link |
Our laboratory is interested in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that allow microbial pathogens to survive and multiply within the hostile host cells. We use Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires disease as a model organism. This bacterium is a facultative intracellular pathogen capable of growing in a vacuole within macrophages as well as fresh water amoebae. After uptake, the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV) in its early phase evades fusion with the lysosomal network and later is transformed into a compartment with characteristics of rough endoplasmic reticulum. Previous studies discovered that biogenesis of this replicative vacuole requires a Type IV protein secretion system termed Dot/Icm. Consisting of 26 proteins, the Dot/Icm system functions in injecting effector proteins into target host cells. Recently, by developing a genetic assay that allows us to directly monitor intercellular protein translocation, we have identified a large number of protein substrates transferred by the Dot/Icm complex. These virulence factors, designated Sid proteins are believed to directly interfere with host cellular functions to inhibit phagolysosomal fusion and to recruit ER- derived vesicles to the cytoplasmic surface of the LCV, thus allowing the establishment of the replicative compartment that supports bacterial growth. Our current focus is to analyze biochemical and cell biological activities conferred by these proteins and their roles in promoting the unique trafficking of the Legionella-containing vacuole in phagocytic cells. In particular, we are interested in identification of host proteins whose activities are modulated by substrates of the Dot/Icm system. The long term goal of these studies is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying how this bacterium subverts host signal transduction pathways to establish a successful infection, such information will be invaluable in combating diseases caused by Legionella and other vacuolar pathogens.
Education
Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001
Professional Faculty Research
(Cellular microbiology) Type IV protein secretion of Legionella pneumophila; intracellular multiplication and trafficking of bacterial pathogens.
Other Activities
Faculty Presentation
• Department of Microbiology University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Dec. 6, 2007
• Department of Microbiology and Immunology University of Texas San Antorio Medical Center Nov. 1, 2007
• Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, Sept. 20, 2007
• Invited speaker at the14th Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting, Chicago, IL, September 28-30, 2007
• Invited speaker at the 107th annual Meeting of the American Society of Microbiology, Toronto, Canada, May 21-24, 2007
• Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Ohio Mar. 28, 2007
• Department of Microbiology and Immunology Indiana University School of Medicine Jan. 25, 2007
• Department of Microbiology and Immunology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. June 20, 2006
• National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China, June 16, 2006
• Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, April 3, 2005
Conference
1st New Investigator Workshop, NIH/NIAID Bethesda, MD October 15-16, 2007
• 14th Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting, Chicago, IL, September 28-30, 2007.
• 107th annual Meeting of the American Society of Microbiology, Toronto, Canada, May 21-24, 2007.
• Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting, Cincinnati, Ohio, October 20-22, 2006
• 6th International Conference on Legionella, Chicago, Illinois, October 16-18, 2005
• Midwest Prokaryotic Molecular Genetics and Physiology Meeting, Bloomington, Indiana, April 2-3, 2005
• Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting, East Lansing, Michigan, October 1-3, 2004