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Department of Microbiology and Immunology: Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai
March 15, 2019 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai
Professor and Director, Pacific Biosciences Research Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
University of Hawaii at Manoa
“Signaling networks in symbiosis: Insights from the squid-vibrio system”
Friday, Mar 15, 2019 12: 00 pm, IRC 1
Host: Dr. Kim Dill-McFarland & Dr. Steven Hallam
Abstract: Symbiont colonization of host animals influences not only the tissues directly interacting with the microbial partner(s), but also tissues remote from the site of symbiont residence. Mammalian gut colonization by its microbiota, for example, causes changes in transcription in brain tissues. However, the identification of the responsible microbial partners is difficult to determine because of the complexity of the system. This presentation will describe the current knowledge, as well as the horizons, for the study of this phenomenon in the model association between the squid Euprymna scolopes and its luminous symbiont Vibrio fischeri. Light produced by V. fischeri is the principal ‘product’ translocated to the host, i.e., it is the principal ‘currency’ of the symbiosis. The night-active host uses light emitted by the bacterial symbionts as a camouflaging mechanism. As a binary symbiosis, with well-developed genetics in the microbial partner, we are able to define, with high resolution, the mechanisms underlying the networks of communication that result from the symbiotic interactions.
Sponsored by: The Department of Microbiology and Immunology & Microbiome Research Network
