Jorge E. Galán, Ph.D.

Lucille P Markey Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis and Cell Biology Chair, Microbial Pathogenesis
Galan lab website Phone: (203) 737-2404 (assistant) Lab: (203) 737-2407 Fax: (203) 785-2630 e-mail: jorge.galan@yale.edu		Section of Microbial Pathogenesis Yale University School of Medicine 295 Congress Avenue PO Box 9812 New Haven, CT 06536-0812 <Courier Address> 295 Congress Avenue, BCMM 354E (Lab: BCMM 347) New Haven, CT 06519-1418

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Our laboratory conducts research on molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis. We primarily focus on the mechanisms by which the bacterial pathogens Salmonella and Campylobacter interact with host cells to cause disease.

Central to the pathogenesis of the bacterial pathogen Salmonella enterica is its ability to engage the host cell in a two-way biochemical interaction through the function of a dedicated protein secretion system termed type III. This system directs the translocation of several bacterial effector proteins into the host cell, which have the capacity of modulate a variety of cellular processes including actin cytoskeleton dynamics, cell cycle progression, and transcriptional responses. Our laboratory is interested in understanding the mechanisms of the type III protein translocation system, the function of the bacterial effector proteins that are translocated into the host cell as well as the host-cell signal transduction pathways elicited by the different effectors.

Campylobacter jeuni also has the ability to invade non-phagocytic cells.  The mechanisms of entry are rather different from those utilized by Salmonella enterica, involving microtubules instead of actin.  Subsequent to internalization, C. jejuni deviates from the canonical endocytic pathway to avoid delivery into lysosomes.  Our laboratory is interested in understanding the cell biology of these interactions.

Selected Publications

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Galan JE, Wolf-Watz H. Protein delivery into eukaryotic cells by type III secretion machines. Nature. 2006 Nov 30;444(7119):567-73.

Marlovitz, T. C., Kubori, T., Lara-Tejero, M., Thomas, D. R., Unger, V. M., and J. E. Galán. 2006. Assembly of the inner rod determines needle length in the type III secretion injectisome. Nature 441(7093):637-40.

Akeda, Y., and J. E. Galán. 2005.  Chaperone release and unfolding in type III secretion.  Nature 437:911-5.

Hernandez, L. D., K. Hueffer, M. R. Wenk, and J. E. Galán.  2004.  Salmonella  modulates vesicular traffic by altering phosphoinositide metabolism.  Science 304:1805-7.

Lara-Tejero, M. and J. E. Galán.  2000.  A bacterial toxin that controls cell cycle progression as a deoxyribonuclease I-like protein.  Science 290: 354-355.