Analysis of Bacterial Uptake & Growth within Mammalian Cells

Tamara O'Connor
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D. Dept Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences
McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

Thesis
Establishing cell fate in the multicellular bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor

Current Research
Identifying sources of functional redundancy amongst effector proteins used by Legionella pneumophila to manipulate host cell processes during infection with a specific emphasis on those targeting host vesicle trafficking pathways.

Publications

1. Isberg RR, O'Connor TJ, Heidtman M. (2009) The Legionella pneumophila replication vacuole: making a cosy niche inside host cells. Nat Rev Microbiol 7(1):13-24.

2. O’Connor, TJ, Heidtman, M, Isberg, R. (2008) Legionella: Molecular Biology. Chapter 10: Mechanisms of Intracellular Survival and Replication of Legionella pneumophila. Caister Academic Press, Norfolk, UK.

3. VanRheenen SM, Luo ZQ, O'Connor TJ, Isberg RR. (2006) Members of a Legionella pneumophila family of proteins with ExoU (phospholipase A) active sites are translocated to target cells. Infect Immun.
   74(6):3597-606.

4. O'Connor TJ, Nodwell JR. Pivotal roles for the receiver domain in the mechanism of action of the response regulator RamR of Streptomyces coelicolor. (2005) J Mol Biol. 351(5):1030-1047.

5. O'Connor TJ, Kanellis P, Nodwell JR. (2002) The ramC gene is required for morphogenesis in Streptomyces coelicolor and expressed in a cell type-specific manner under the direct control of RamR. Mol Microbiol. 45(1):45-57