Food Science

Abstract

The aim of the project is to clarify the role of extracellular proteases in the Pseudomonas biofilm to improve the survival of pathogenic bacteria in meat. The project will determine the metabolic activity of Pseudomonas with emphasis on protease activity at the genome and phenotype level will also enable us to identify and characterize new proteases of Pseudomonas and fill the gap in understanding their role in meat spoilage. We will further determine the association between the protease activity of Pseudomonas and their biofilm formation, which will be determined based on viability, biofilm biomass, and metabolic activity. In vitro research will determine the type of interaction between the selected Pseudomonas strain and pathogenic bacteria (Gram-negative Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli; Gram-positive Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus). We will determine the role of simultaneous and pre-cultivation of Pseudomonas biofilm for effect on pathogens and the role of Pseudomonas protease activity for providing nutrients to pathogens. With the selected combination of Pseudomonas and pathogen, where there will be a positive interaction, we will determine the basic mechanism of Pseudomonas protease activity by transcriptome and proteome analysis, which will reveal the response of Pseudomonas in interaction with the pathogen. The integration of the obtained data will be used to understand the mechanisms underlying the process of biofilm formation of Pseudomonas, which is modulated by extracellular protease Thus, we will highlight the fundamental mechanisms of action of Pseudomonas biofilm proteases not only for spoilage but also for human health risk due to interactions with pathogenic bacteria.

The phases of the project and their realization

The project consists of three phases. In the first, we will identify Pseudomonas isolates from chicken meat and determine their protease activity. In the second phase, we will link this activity to the formation of a biofilm of Pseudomonas bacteria and further investigate the role of proteases in the importance of the interaction of Pseudomonas with various pathogens. In the final phase, we will analyze the proteome and transcriptome for the selected Pseudomonas-pathogen strains to explain the response of the Pseudomonas when interacting with the pathogen.

Researchers

link

Citations for bibliographic records

link