How tuberculosis bacteria handle damaged proteins
Phosphoarginine-linked protein quality control and stress responses in mycobacteria
This project will learn how TB bacteria use a chemical tag called phosphoarginine to mark and remove damaged proteins so new drug targets for people with tuberculosis can be identified.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Delaware NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11370840 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have tuberculosis, researchers are studying the bacterial machinery that tags and destroys damaged proteins to understand how the germs survive stress. In the lab they will map which mycobacterial proteins receive the phosphoarginine tag, test what kinds of stress trigger tagging, and study how the ClpC1P1P2 protease and related proteins recognize and break down those tagged proteins. The team will use biochemical experiments and comparisons to related bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis to pinpoint weak spots in the system. The goal is to find molecular targets that could be used to develop new antibiotics against drug-resistant TB.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Although this is laboratory research, people with active or drug-resistant tuberculosis are the ultimate patient group who could benefit and might be eligible for future clinical trials based on these findings.
Not a fit: Patients without tuberculosis or those with infections caused by other bacteria are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic lab-focused research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new drug targets that lead to antibiotics for drug-resistant tuberculosis.
How similar studies have performed: Related studies have shown phosphoarginine tagging in other bacteria and prior work has validated Clp proteases as promising antibiotic targets, but applying phosphoarginine biology specifically to M. tuberculosis is a newer area of research.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- University of Delaware — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schmitz, Karl Robert — University of Delaware
- Study coordinator: Schmitz, Karl Robert
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.