UNews - antibiotics

Protein function discovery could advance antibiotic development

trevor.kenney — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 17:18:01 +0000

A new discovery made partly by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers could one day lead to more effective and efficient antibiotics, biofuels and other bioengineered products.

The discovery, partly by Dr. HJ Wieden's lab, could advance antibiotic development and everything from biofuels to laundry detergents.

The findings reveal a protein, YjjK, which helps a cell modulate protein synthesis by throttling, or pausing, the process when the cell is low on energy. Constricting protein manufacture enables a cell under these conditions to refuel with new nutrients to the point where it can restart the synthesis process.

“It’s very comparable to the energy-saver mode on a laptop computer, which shuts down energy-expensive processes when the battery is low to prevent it from crashing,” says U of L research-team lead Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, associate professor of physical biochemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and director of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (http://www.uleth.ca/research/alberta-rna-research-and-training-institute...).

The cellular function of YjjK was identified by research teams from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Columbia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in New York, and they have since renamed the protein energy-dependent translational throttle A (EttA).

“EttA senses the energy state of the cell and, when needed, helps it save power by slowing down protein synthesis,” says Wieden.

Illustration by Anamaria Turuk

“This is the first time to show this particular type of direct regulation of protein synthesis based on a cell’s energy level. Our research provides a detailed understanding of a novel process related to cellular function.”

This new knowledge of EttA may make it possible to develop or improve antibiotics, since about half of them target protein synthesis as part of their function. Wieden says if an antibiotic can be designed to disable the EttA protein in a harmful bacterium, it would allow protein synthesis to continue unfettered and essentially burn out the bacteria’s energy supply.

“If you lose your energy regulation, you burn and crash – that’s a potential way to harm the bacterium,” says Wieden. “The ideal situation would be to come up with a novel class of antibiotics that haven’t been used yet.”

What the researchers learned when studying EttA’s role in E. coli bacteria is that when a cell is starved of energy, the protein interacts with the cell’s ribosome, a complex molecular machine that is the main site of protein synthesis, in a process called translation. This interaction inhibits the energy-intensive process of protein manufacture by preventing the progression from the initiation stage to the elongation stage of protein synthesis. The benefit to the cell is that it can curb energy consumption until more nutrients become available to boost the cell’s energy level, ultimately enabling the cell to resume protein synthesis.

In addition to the possible benefits this research could provide in the development of future antibiotics, Wieden says it could also enhance a variety of biotechnology products – everything from biofuels to laundry detergents – that rely on the efficient production of enzymes in microorganisms.

Their findings were featured in two articles earlier this month in the journal Nature Structural and Molecular Biology (February 2014 | doi:10.1038/nsmb.2740 & doi:10.1038/nsmb.2741).

Wieden named Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures Bioengineering Chair

trevor.kenney — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 20:48:46 +0000

Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures (AITF) has named Dr. Hans Joachim Wieden as the Innovates Centre of Research Excellence (iCORE) Chair of Bioengineering.

AITF’s $2-million investment, over five years, further enables Wieden’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge research team to study how biological systems can be engineered to achieve breakthroughs in materials science, chemistry, biochemistry, health and nanoscience.

“We are proud that world-class research will be done in Lethbridge, and excited about the opportunities that it will create for Alberta students, companies and the economy,” says Deputy Premier and Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education Thomas Lukaszuk. “Support for this work is a great example of the government’s commitment to post-secondary research.”

The potential for discovery in the study of synthetic biology is virtually limitless.

Dr. HJ Wieden and his research team continue to push forward, advancing the study of biomolecular engineering and synthetic biology.

“The range of societal and commercial issues we can address through the advancement of biomolecular engineering and synthetic biology will only continue to expand as we go further,” says Wieden, the newly appointed Chair and current director of the Alberta RNA (Ribonucleic acid) Research and Training Institute (ARRTI) at the U of L.

Synthetic biologists focus on how biological systems can be engineered to achieve a new desired outcome.

“The U of L has identified RNA-based research as an emerging program of emphasis due to the work of several of our researchers,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Vice-President (Research), Dr. Dan Weeks.

Wieden’s team, for example, recently focused its research on the development of new antibiotics that may help to battle the growing resistance of disease-producing pathogens against currently used antibiotics.

The Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures funding is complemented by the recent introduction of research initiatives such as the Campus Alberta Innovation Program and the Alberta Innovates Health Solutions program, which have added to the breadth of research inquiry at the U of L.

“The ongoing potential of Dr. Wieden’s applied research supports our goal to grow the province’s research and innovation environment, and expand opportunities for economic diversification,” says Randy Goebel, Vice-President of iCORE and the Alberta Innovates Academy. “We look forward to continuing our support of Alberta’s leadership in bioengineering.”

Wieden's students have also benefitted from the support of geekStarter, another AITF-funded program. geekStarter helps student teams in nanotechnology, information and communications technology and omics (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and regulomics) achieve breakthroughs in research and innovation.

With the support of geekStarter, some of Wieden’s student teams have participated in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. They have since gone on to enter the workforce and, in at least one instance, become entrepreneurs in a related field.

“These students have developed a new way of detecting hormones and are patenting their technology for use in agricultural and medical research,” says Wieden. “The importance of creating teaching opportunities through basic and applied research programs cannot be overstated.”

About Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures (AITF)

Part of Alberta’s research and innovation system, Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures is helping build healthy, sustainable businesses in the province. Through a suite of programs and services for entrepreneurs, companies, researchers, post-secondary institutions and investors, Tech Futures provides technical services and funding support to facilitate the commercialization of technologies, to develop new knowledge-based industry clusters and help encourage an entrepreneurial culture in Alberta. Through the Innovates Centre of Research Excellence (iCORE), Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures attracts top talent to Alberta to create multi-disciplinary, collaborative teams building research capabilities.

Wieden headlines talk

trevor.kenney — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:18:23 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Dr. HJ Wieden is one of four experts who will present a Cafe Scientifique talk at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery on Thursday, Mar. 21.

Wieden will be joined by Dr. Eric Brown of McMaster ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Dr. Frank Schweizer of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba and Dr. Tim McAllister as they discuss Antibiotic use in Agricultural Practices: Implications on the Health of Canadians.

In areas such as southern Alberta, the issue of antibiotic resistance can have a huge impact not only on human health but on industries such as agriculture.

In order to ensure the production of safe food products, the agricultural industry has utilized antibiotic protection of animals for many years. While this ensures quality food control, there are implications for the health of Canadians especially with respect to the efficiency of current antibiotic therapies.

Attend this talk to hear about current research being conducted in Canada. Areas of focus will include: how antibiotics work; pharmaceutical research necessary to develop new antibiotics; testing of antimicrobials; and the agricultural use of antibiotics in livestock populations.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the talk scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Please RSVP due to limited seating to penny.dagnone@uleth.ca or 403-382-7198.

The presentation will also be available remotely at the following link: http://uleth.adobeconnect.com/cafe-scientifique/. The first 100 people to log in can view the Cafe remotely.

UNews - antibiotics

Protein function discovery could advance antibiotic development

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