The role of Listeria monocytogenes efflux pumps in determining resistance, biofilm formation and maintaining cell homeostasis

Principal Investigator: Dorota Korsak

The widespread and inappropriate use of antimicrobials, such as antibiotics and chemotherapeutics,  disinfectants or antiseptics  in medicine, veterinary, agriculture or industry has led to selection and spread of resistant strains of bacteria for the last few decades. Microorganisms developed various mechanisms of resistance in response to the presence of antibacterial compounds in the environment. One of the strategies frequently used by bacteria is active efflux responsible for moving such compounds out of the cell into the external environment. Transport of the substances is possible due to specific transport proteins present in the cell membrane. 

In our research we determine the role of genes which potentially encode the transport proteins (efflux proteins) of the pathogen bacterium Listeria monocytogenes in development of tolerance or resistance of that bacterium to various antibacterial compounds, as well as to define their functions in the process of formation of biofilms and maintenance of the cellular homeostasis.