Virulence factors of Bacillus cereus and host-pathogen interactions

Bacillus cereus is one of the key toxigenic foodborne pathogens of concern to modern food industry,
especially for a group of refrigerated foods of extended durability and dry foods. This species
comprises a highly versatile, psychrotrophic and mesophilic, and incredibly armored group of
opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, which directly in the food or once ingested by the human host
may secrete a wide array of harmful toxins and Ultimately, the emetic food poisoning is caused by
the emetic toxin, known as cereulide (Cer), which is produced during the growth of emetic B. cereus
in food, whereas diarrheal food poisoning is the result of enterotoxin production by viable
vegetative B. cereus cells in the small intestine. B. cereus enterotoxins comprise hemolysin BL (Hbl),
Non-hemolytic enterotoxin (Nhe), and cytotoxin K (CytK1 and CytK2) as tree major toxins. The
overall aim of this project is to provide understanding of the host-pathogen cross talk in the specific
case of B. cereus by examining simultaneously functional and metabolic changes in human host
cells, and link this ‘funtionomic” data with the transcriptomes of the infected human cells. In parallel
expression of selected virulence factors in diarrheal and emetic type of B. cereus will be assessed.
The parallel measurements in eukaryotic and bacterial cells during the simulated infection will be
performed as a need to better understand the virulence mechanism and pathogenic potential of B.
cereus.