Project Summary

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is an opportunistic pathogen and a member of the normal flora in the upper respiratory tract of humans. Biofilms have been found to be important in infections caused by NTHi. Preliminary work has identified a regulatory operon, qshABC, which has a role in biofilm formation or persistence in an animal model for otitis media. The work in this proposal will attempt to identify the genes that are regulated by the QshABC system. Mutant strains will be constructed that are expected to maximize activation of Qsh-regulated genes. Multiple comparisons will be made using microarray analysis to obtain a list of candidate genes that will then be confirmed using qRT-PCR. Identification of these genes will assist in the characterization of the role QshABC plays in virulence. Data obtained by this study will be used as the basis for further work including the study of potential virulence factors and identification of new treatment targets.

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