Aim: This project will characterize common themes and differences of microbe-host interaction among known bacterial symbionts in protists. Molecular mechanisms of host-interaction will be investigated for novel, yet uncharacterized symbionts.

Approach: Comprehensive genomics and phylogenomics analyses will provide the basis for an evolutionary framework of known bacteria-protist associations. Novel cultivation and screening approaches will be used to obtain novel protist isolates and their symbionts. Symbiont-host interactions will be characterized by a systems biology approach including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics.

Relevance: Understanding the diversity of microbe-host interactions in single-cell eukaryotes provides an important framework for understanding how microbe-host interactions evolved and function in multicellular eukaryotes, including humans.

Student: Artur Zaduryan

Faculty: Matthias Horn (PI), Thomas Rattei, Jillian Petersen, Michael Wagner

Funding: FWF doc.fund project MAINTAIN

Selected Publications:

König L, Wentrup C, Schulz F, Wascher F, Swanson MS, Buchrieser C, Horn M (2019). Symbiont-mediated defense against Legionella pneumophila in amoebae. mBio 10(3): e00333-19. doi: 10.1128/mBio.00333-19.

Collingro A, Köstlbacher S, Mussmann M, Stepanauskas R, Hallam SJ, Horn M (2017). Unexpected genomic features in widespread intracellular bacteria: evidence for motility of marine chlamydiae. ISME J 10: 2334-2344. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2017.95.

Böck D, Medeiros JM, Tsao HF, Penz T, Weiss GL, Aistleitner K, Horn M, Pilhofer M. (2017). In situ architecture, function, and evolution of a contractile injection system. Science 6352: 713-717. doi: 10.1126/science.aan7904.

Domman D, Horn M, Embley TM, Williams TA (2015). Plastid establishment did not require a chlamydial partner. Nature Commun 6: 6421. doi: 10.1038/ncomms7421.