Kaitlin Schroeder

Contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) is a mechanism by which non-isogenic strains of Gram-negative bacteria compete with one another for resources and survival. CDI involves receptor-mediated delivery of protein toxins into target bacteria via a two-partner secretion system. While many components of this system have been characterized by the Hayes lab, we know little about the dynamics of deployment that occur post-receptor binding. My research aims to identify the molecular and conformational changes which drive export and delivery of CDI toxins to target cells.