Klebsiella pneumoniae is a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The ability of K. pneumoniae to cause a wide range of human diseases, from urinary tract infections to life-threatening systemic infections, has attracted increasing attention to the pathogenesis of this bacterium. Some hypervirulent strains have also been suggested as a potential manifestation of colorectal cancer.
The transcription factor p53 plays a central role in human tumor suppression. Despite its expression in immune cells and broad responsiveness to stressors, it remains poorly understood whether p53 regulates host defence against infection.

In this project, we aim to characterise the effect of Klebsiella pneumoniae on P53 transcription and stability using primary cell lines. We will also aim to determine which bacterial factors are responsible for the down regulation we observed.

Technics that will be use:
-general microbiology
-cell culture + infection
-RT-PCR
-SDS-page gel electrophoresis and western blot
-purification of bacterial secreted material

Supervision:
Both Marie-Stephanie and Sylvain are assistant professor at the MTC with microbiology and cancer biology background respectively. Both will supervise the student as this project is a collaboration.
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