Research

Research in the laboratory is broadly concerned with the study of integral membrane proteins of E. coli involved in adaptive solute transport. Regulatory mechanisms concerned with the above are also being studied. The interplay between a three protein phosphorelay comprising the proteins PtsP-PtsO-PtsN and potassium ion (K⁺) metabolism is being studied. Specifically the molecular mechanism by which the dephosphorylated state of PtsN negatively regulates a K⁺ efflux protein YcgO is being investigated. It is believed that the PtsP-PtsO-PtsN-YcgO pathway constitutes a stress responsive K⁺ efflux pathway. In addition, the involvement of dephospho-PtsN in the regulation of additional physiological processes in E. coli is under investigation. In studies with bacterial K⁺ metabolism, the interactions of components of protein secretion with K⁺ transporters are also being studied. The second aspect of research in the laboratory deals with the phenomenon of basic amino acid export in E. coli in which we are interested in delineating structure function relationships of the L-arginine (Arg) and L-lysine (Lys) exporters ArgO and LysO of E. coli, respectively. Research on Arg and Lys export also finds an extension into the development of biotechnological applications for commercial production of Arg and Lys that are amino acids of commercial importance.

Collaborators