02-12-2025
Vítor Ribeiro presented his master’s thesis entitled "Analysis of a Chlamydia trachomatis virulence protein that acts on host cell microtubules”. This work was carried out at the DCV Infection Biology Lab.
This has uncovered new details about how C. trachomatis, one of the world’s most common causes of bacterial eye and genital infections, takes control of the human cells it infects. This bacterium lives inside a small bubble-like compartment in our cells, where it grows safely hidden from the immune system. To survive, it releases special proteins that alter how the host cell works. The study focused on one of these proteins, called IncM, to understand what it does inside infected cells. Using advanced microscopy, Vítor showed that IncM helps the bacterium gather microtubules, tiny tubular structures that act like the cell’s internal scaffolding, around the compartment where the bacteria grow. This seems to create a support cage that helps keep the compartment stable. It may also interfere with the host cell’s ability to divide properly. The project also explored a small, conserved region of the IncM protein that may play an important role. Overall, this thesis improved our understanding of how C. trachomatis reshapes the inside of human cells to create a safe space for itself, which ultimately may help offering new clues for future studies and potential treatment strategies.
Congratulations, Vítor!