Mei-Shiuan Yu
Title: Assistant Professor
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Microbiology Division, Institute of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University
Research Expertise: Molecular microbiology, Bacterial physiology and signaling, Bacterial pathogenesis
Office Site/Tel：D308/ +886-3-8565301 # 2106
Laboratory Site/Tel: D315/+886-3-8565301 # 2107
E-Mail： meishiuan@mail.tcu.edu.tw
Research grants:
2013 Alternative sigma factor involved in stress response of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, National Science Council, Taiwan
2012 Molecular characterization of alternative sigma factors of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in response to environmental stresses, Tzu-Chi University, Taiwan
2011 Characterization of Vibrio parahaemolyticus alternative sigma factors, RpoS and RpoE, under various stress environments, National Science Council, Taiwan
2010 Contributions of alternative sigma factors in regulating stress response and virulence fuctions in Vibrio parahaemolyticus, National Science Council, Taiwan
Research Interests:
1. Role of alternative sigma factors in stress response of Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Bacteria continuously sense and respond to environmental stimuli in order to optimize their ability to survive and multiply. Modulating appropriate gene expression via alternative sigma factors makes bacteria more resistant to environmental stresses. Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a halophilic gram-negative bacterium, is the important seafood-borne pathogen in Taiwan. They are widely distributed in marine environment and exhibit several life types, such as free-living organisms, symbioists of marine animals, and pathogens of human and marine animals. To respond properly to environmental fluctuations, alternative sigma factors may play significant roles in V. parahaemolyticus. My laboratory has been studying roles of RpoS and RpoE in response to environmental stresses, respectively. We generated allelic exchange DrpoS and DrpoE mutants by suicide vector approach and characterized their phenotypic changes and survival under selected stress conditions, respectively. In addition, we also employed the genetic and proteomeic methods to search for the genes regulated by these alternative sigma factors. We expect to establish the molecular regulatory mechanisms of these alternative sigma factors in stress response of V. parahaemolyticus.
2. Influence of quorum sensing molecules on physiological changes and gene expression in Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Quorum sensing is a bacterial cell-to-cell signaling process that enables bacteria to monitor cell population density and to collectively regulate gene expression using secreted signaling molecules called autoinducers. Production and detection of most autoinducers are restricted to organisms in a species. In contrast, AI-2 and its synthase, LuxS, are widely distributed in the bacterial kingdom, suggesting AI-2 is a universal signal for interspecies communication. Accumulating evidence shows AI-2 is involved in global regulation of gene functions, such as expression of virulence factor, antibiotic production, biofilm formation and carbohydrate metabolism. To date, the literature concerning AI-2 and LuxS of V. parahaemolyticus, is still limited. To provide the advance information, we constructed the DluxS mutant and characterized its phenotypic changes by comparing with the wild type. In addition, proteomic methods were also employed to compare changes in protein patterns of V. parahemolyticus caused by mutation in luxS. We expect the findings may provide more information about the behaviors affected by luxS in V. parahemolyticus.
Title: Assistant Professor
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Microbiology Division, Institute of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University
Research Expertise: Molecular microbiology, Bacterial physiology and signaling, Bacterial pathogenesis
Office Site/Tel：D308/ +886-3-8565301 # 2106
Laboratory Site/Tel: D315/+886-3-8565301 # 2107
E-Mail： meishiuan@mail.tcu.edu.tw
Research grants:
2013 Alternative sigma factor involved in stress response of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, National Science Council, Taiwan
2012 Molecular characterization of alternative sigma factors of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in response to environmental stresses, Tzu-Chi University, Taiwan
2011 Characterization of Vibrio parahaemolyticus alternative sigma factors, RpoS and RpoE, under various stress environments, National Science Council, Taiwan
2010 Contributions of alternative sigma factors in regulating stress response and virulence fuctions in Vibrio parahaemolyticus, National Science Council, Taiwan
Research Interests:
1. Role of alternative sigma factors in stress response of Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Bacteria continuously sense and respond to environmental stimuli in order to optimize their ability to survive and multiply. Modulating appropriate gene expression via alternative sigma factors makes bacteria more resistant to environmental stresses. Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a halophilic gram-negative bacterium, is the important seafood-borne pathogen in Taiwan. They are widely distributed in marine environment and exhibit several life types, such as free-living organisms, symbioists of marine animals, and pathogens of human and marine animals. To respond properly to environmental fluctuations, alternative sigma factors may play significant roles in V. parahaemolyticus. My laboratory has been studying roles of RpoS and RpoE in response to environmental stresses, respectively. We generated allelic exchange DrpoS and DrpoE mutants by suicide vector approach and characterized their phenotypic changes and survival under selected stress conditions, respectively. In addition, we also employed the genetic and proteomeic methods to search for the genes regulated by these alternative sigma factors. We expect to establish the molecular regulatory mechanisms of these alternative sigma factors in stress response of V. parahaemolyticus.
2. Influence of quorum sensing molecules on physiological changes and gene expression in Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Quorum sensing is a bacterial cell-to-cell signaling process that enables bacteria to monitor cell population density and to collectively regulate gene expression using secreted signaling molecules called autoinducers. Production and detection of most autoinducers are restricted to organisms in a species. In contrast, AI-2 and its synthase, LuxS, are widely distributed in the bacterial kingdom, suggesting AI-2 is a universal signal for interspecies communication. Accumulating evidence shows AI-2 is involved in global regulation of gene functions, such as expression of virulence factor, antibiotic production, biofilm formation and carbohydrate metabolism. To date, the literature concerning AI-2 and LuxS of V. parahaemolyticus, is still limited. To provide the advance information, we constructed the DluxS mutant and characterized its phenotypic changes by comparing with the wild type. In addition, proteomic methods were also employed to compare changes in protein patterns of V. parahemolyticus caused by mutation in luxS. We expect the findings may provide more information about the behaviors affected by luxS in V. parahemolyticus.