Russell Collighan

Our research is focussed on a group of enzymes called transglutaminases. Transglutaminases are found in many different organisms including microbes, plants and mammals. These enzymes are responsible for a variety of post-translational modifications of proteins, in particular cross-linking of proteins into large molecular weight polymers that are more resistant to degradation. In higher organisms such as mammals, this process is important for the stability of skin, hair, blood clots and the extracellular matrix surrounding cells. In spore-forming bacteria, they cross-link spore coat proteins to enhance spore stability to environmental factors such as heat and chemicals, including antibiotics.

We are interested in elucidating the contribution that transglutaminases have to the stability of structures such as spores and/or the cell wall in clinically-relevant bacteria eg Clostridium difficile and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. This knowledge is important for understanding survival and defence mechanisms and may lead to identification of novel antimicrobial targets.

Tel: +44 (0)121 2044035
Email: [email protected]