Dr Victoria Pederick
Dr. Pederick is a postdoctoral research within the Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, where she is working to characterise the molecular mechanisms of zinc acquisition in bacterial pathogens.
Metals ions are essential for bacterial growth, serving structural and catalytic roles in the cell. However, in excess, they also exert significant toxicity, necessitating the strict control of their acquisition. Metalloproteomic analyses indicate that at least 6% of all bacterial proteins require the transition metal ion, zinc [Zn(II)]. Due to the importance of Zn(II) for bacteria, the human immune system manipulates the bioavailability of the metal ion to limit or prevent bacterial infections. To overcome the reduced Zn(II) bioavailability, bacteria utilise high affinity membrane transporters to satisfy their metal ion requirement. My research focuses on the Zn(II) acquisition pathways employed by the human pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
1. Zinc acquisition in Streptococcus pneumoniae
Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a globally significant human pathogen, responsible for a broad range of diseases including pneumonia, meningitis, bacteremia and otitis media. Within the pneumococcus, Zn(II) is the second most abundant transition metal ion. To acquire Zn(II), the bacterium utilises an ATP-binding cassette importer, AdcBC, and two high affinity Zn(II)-specific solute-binding proteins, AdcA and AdcAII, for transport of the metal ion across the membrane. In response to Zn(II) limitation, adcAII is significantly up-regulated, together with its co-transcribed gene, phtD. PhtD is one of four highly conserved polyhistidine triad (Pht) proteins (PhtA, PhtB, PhtD and PhtE), which are present in the cell wall of the pneumococcus. Each protein features 5 or 6 histidine triad motifs (HXXHXH) that are predicted to bind Zn(II) ions. Zinc acquisition by AdcAII under Zn(II)-limiting conditions has been shown to be dependent on the Pht proteins, with the four Pht proteins sharing overlapping functionality. Further research is required to better understand the role of each of these proteins in pneumococcal Zn(II) acquisition.
2. Characterisation of novel zinc acquisition mechanisms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are the leading cause of death and disease in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Within the CF lung, much of the Zn(II) is bound by the human protein calprotectin to prevent bacterial colonisation. To overcome this, P. aeruginosa is predicted to utilise multiple import mechanisms to scavenge Zn(II). My recent study characterising the ZnuABC importer from P. aeruginosa revealed it to hold a major role in Zn(II) acquisition, with a mutant strain lacking the znuA gene exhibiting an ~60% reduction in cellular Zn(II) content. RNA sequencing analysis of this strain identified a number of additional, previously uncharacterised acquisition systems which likely contribute to Zn(II) acquisition by the bacterium. Together my research is seeking to better understand the role and relative contribution of these putative transport systems to P. aeruginosa Zn(II) acquisition.
Appointments
Date | Position | Institution name |
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2015 | Research Associate | The University of Adelaide |
Awards and Achievements
Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
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2016 | Award | Travel Grant | UK Biochemical Society | £650 | |
2013 | Award | Student Poster Prize | Australian Society for Microbiology | ||
2012 | Award | Oral Presentation Prize | School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Postgraduate Symposium | ||
2012 | Award | Student Poster Prize | Adelaide Protein Group | ||
2012 | Award | PXE Student Conference Fellowship | FEBS-ABC 2012 | ||
2011 | Scholarship | Australian Postgraduate Award | The University of Adelaide | ||
2011 | Scholarship | Postgraduate Studentship Award | Australian Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust | ||
2009 | Award | Summer Research Scholarship | Cancer Council of South Australia |
Education
Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
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2011 - 2013 | The University of Adelaide | Australia | PhD |
2010 | The University of Adelaide | Australia | B. Sci. (Honours in Microbiology and Immunology) |
2007 - 2009 | The University of Adelaide | Australia | B. Sci. (Molecular Biology) |
Research Interests
Journals
Conference Items
Year | Citation |
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2016 | Pederick, V. G., Eijkelkamp, B. A., Plumptre, C. D., Harvey, R. M., Hughes, C. E., Morey, J. R., . . . McDevitt, C. A. (2016). The role of Pht proteins in pneumococcal zinc acquisition. Poster session presented at the meeting of BioMetals 2016. Dresden, Germany. |
2015 | Pederick, V. G., Eijkelkamp, B. A., Begg, S. L., Ween, M. P., McAllister, L. J., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2015). ZnuA and zinc homeostasis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstract of BacPath 13: Molecular Analysis of Bacterial Pathogens Conference 2015. Phillip Island, VIC: BacPath & ASN Events. |
2015 | Pederick, V. G., Begg, S. L., eijkelkamp, B. A., ween, M. P., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2015). Metal uptake transporters – a microbial Achilles heel. Poster session presented at the meeting of An exchange workshop on antimicrobial resistance. UniSA. |
2013 | Pederick, V. G., Eijkelkamp, B. A., Ween, M. P., Begg, S. L., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2013). The role of molybdenum in Pseudomonas aeruginosa persistence. Poster session presented at the meeting of School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences 3-Minute Thesis competition. |
2012 | Pederick, V. G., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2012). Characterisation of a Type I Secretion system from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian Society for Microbiology Scientific Meeting. |
2012 | Pederick, V. G., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2012). Characterisation of a Type I Secretion system from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Poster session presented at the meeting of Membrane Transporters Workshop. |
2012 | Pederick, V. G., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2012). Characterisation of a Type I Secretion system from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian Society for Microbiology BD Student Award. |
2012 | Pederick, V. G., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2012). Characterisation of a Type I Secretion system from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Poster session presented at the meeting of ASBMB ComBio. |
2012 | Pederick, V. G., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2012). The need to breathe: stopping bacterial colonization in cystic fibrosis. Poster session presented at the meeting of Faculty of Sciences 3-Minute Thesis competition. |
2012 | Pederick, V. G., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2012). The need to breathe: stopping bacterial colonization in cystic fibrosis. Poster session presented at the meeting of School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Postgraduate Symposium. |
2012 | Pederick, V. G., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2012). Characterisation of a Type I secretion system from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Poster session presented at the meeting of Adelaide Protein Group. |
2012 | Pederick, V. G., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2012). Characterisation of a Type I secretion system from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Poster session presented at the meeting of ABC2012 – 4th FEBS Special Meeting on ABC Proteins. |
2011 | Pederick, V. G., Ween, M. P., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2011). Biochemical characterisation of PA1876, a novel Pseudomonas aeruginosa multidrug ATP-binding cassette transporter. Poster session presented at the meeting of School of Molecular and Biomedical Science Research Symposium. |
2011 | Pederick, V. G., Ween, M. P., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2011). Biochemical characterisation of PA1876, a novel Pseudomonas aeruginosa multidrug ATP-binding cassette transporter. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian Society for Medical Research SA Meeting. |
2011 | Pederick, V. G., Ween, M. P., Paton, J. C., & McDevitt, C. A. (2011). Biochemical characterisation of PA1876, a Pseudomonas aeruginosa multidrug ATP-binding cassette transporter. Poster session presented at the meeting of Adelaide Protein Group. |
2013 - Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation Grant ($31,000)
"The role of a Type 1 secretion system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation" [CIA]
Memberships
Date | Role | Membership | Country |
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2011 - ongoing | Member | Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | |
2011 - ongoing | Member | UK Biochemical Society | |
2011 - 2015 | Member | Australian Society for Microbiology | |
2011 - 2012 | Member | Australian Society for Medical Research | |
2010 - ongoing | Member | Adelaide Protein Group |