Speaker:  Professor Martin Warren, Professor of Biochemistry/BBSRC Professorial Fellow, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, will present a lecture entitled: From vitamin B12 to bacterial organelles – so much to learn

Host : Simon Carding

Abstract:
Vitamin B12 is exclusively made by only certain prokaryotes and is also one of the most complex primary molecules found in nature. The vast majority of bacteria have at least one B12-dependent enzyme but only about a third of bacteria have the ability to make the nutrient. This means that B12 is viewed as an important commodity and bacteria, as well as many protists, have evolved many strategies to share, steal and modify this remarkable coenzyme.

Although our work has centred on understanding the biosynthesis of the nutrient we have also developed a unique tool set to follow the trafficking of the nutrient within complex communities and are working with the pernicious anaemia society to look at the relationship between B12 bioavailability and the micro biome composition.

A key use for B12 within the microbiome is the degradation of glycans and lipids within the mucosa. Here, B12-dependent enzymes are found located within bacterial microcompartments, proteinaceous organelles, that are present within the bacterial cytoplasm. These bacterial microcompartments assist in the utilisation of substrates such as propanediol and ethanolamine and our research has focussed on how these organelles are made and how they can be redesigned for useful purposes. Finally, we have also looked at how membrane vesicles are generated within certain bacteria and identified proteins that are associated with their formation.

All staff from organisations on the Norwich Research Park are welcome to attend.