Faculty Profile

Fields of Study

Structure, Function and Biogenesis of Bacterial Amyloid Fibers

Areas of Focus

Biochemistry
Microbiology

Research Interest

Research is aimed at understanding how bacteria secrete and assemble disease-associated fibers called curli.

About Matthew Chapman

Amyloid plaques are insoluble protein aggregations that underlie many neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and the prion diseases. Very little is known about amyloid fiber polymerization. Our lab seeks to understand amyloid formation by studying the biogenesis of an amyloid fiber produced by bacteria called curli. Curli fibers produced by E. coli and other enterobacteriaceae members are important determinants of biofilm formation and are proposed to be virulence factors. Our lab uses a variety of biochemical, microscopic, and genetic techniques to elucidate how E. coli assembles these biologically fascinating fibers.

We are also interested in the native function of curli fibers. Curli have been shown to be an integral part of a complex stationary phase developmental pathway in E. coli and Salmonella. This pathway has clear implications for the ability of these bacteria to both survive in nature and to cause disease in humans. Therefore, we are investing the role of curli in coordinating distinct developmental pathways using in vitro and in vivo methods.

Dr. Chapman received his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1999. He was a Keck and NIH Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis from 1999-2003.

Publications

Badtke, MP Hammer, ND Chapman, MR (2009). " Functional amyloids signal their arrival." SCIENCE SIGNAL 2(80): 43. Read Publication.

Ashman Epstein, E, Reizian, MA and Chapman, MR (2009). "Spatial clustering of the curlin secretion lipoprotein requires curli fiber assembly." J of Bacteriol 191(2): 608-615. Read Publication.

Wang, X and Chapman, MR (2008). "Curli Provide the Template for Understanding Controlled Amyloid Propagation." Prion 2(2): 57-60. Read Publication.

Wang, X and Chapman, MR (2008). "Sequence Determinants of Bacterial amyloid Formation." Journal of Molecular Biology 380(3): 570-580. Read Publication.

Wang, X Hammer, ND Chapman, MR (2008). "The molecular basis of functional amyloid polymerization and nucleation." Journal of Biological Chemistry 283(31): 21530-21539. Read Publication.

Ashman Epstein E and Chapman MR (2008). "Polymerizing the Fiber Between Host Cells and Bacteria: The Biogenesis of Functional Amyloids." Cellular Microbiology 10(7):1413-20. Read Publication.

Hammer ND, Wang X, McGuffie BA, and Chapman MR (2008). "Amyloids: Friend or Foe?" Journal of Alzheimers Disease 13(4): 407-419. Read Publication.

Thanassi DG, Chapman MR and Chakraborty S (2008). "Assembly and Secretion of Surface Fibers in Gram-negative Bacteria." In. Bacterial Secreted Proteins Wooldridge K, ed. Horizon Scientific Press, UK

Hammer ND, Schmidt JC, Chapman MR (2007). "The curli nucleator protein, CsgB, contains an amyloidogenic domain that directs CsgA polymerization." PNAS 104:12494-12499. Press release, Read Publication.

Wang X, Smith D, Jones J, Chapman MR (2007). "In vitro polymerization of a functional E.coli amyloid protein." Journal of Biological Chemistry 282(6);3713-3719. Read Publication.

Barnhart M, Chapman MR (2006). "Curli Biogenesis and Function ." Annu Rev Microbiol 60, 131-147. Read Publication.

Barnhart M, Lynem J, Chapman MR (2006). "GlcNAc-6P Levels Modulate the Expression of Curli Fibers by Escherichia coli." J Bacteriol 188, 5212-5219. Read Publication.

Robinson L.S., Ashman Epstein EM, Hultgren S.J., Chapman M.R. (2006). "Secretion of curli fibre subunits is mediated b the outer membrane-localized CsgG protein." Mol Micro 59(3): 870-881. Read Publication.

Roberts JA, Kaack MB, Baskin G, Chapman MR, Hunstad DA, Pinkner JS, Hultgren SJ (2004). "Antibody Responses and Protection from Pyelonephritis Following Vaccination with Purified Escherichia coli PapDG protein." J. Urology 171:1682-1685.

Chapman M.R., Robinson L.S., Hultgren S.J (2002). "The E. coli How-to Guide for Amyloid Formation." ASM News 69: 121-126.

Chapman M.R., Robinson L.S., Pinkner J.S., Roth R., Heuser J., Hammar M., Normark S., Hultgren S.J (2002). "Role of E. coli Curli Operons in Directing Amyloid Fiber Formation." Science 295: 851-855.

Justice S, Dodsogn K, Chapman MR, Barnhart MM, Hultgren SJ (2002). "Assembly of Adhesive Organelles on Gram Negative Bacteria." Oudega B (ed.), Protein Secretion Pathways in Bacteria Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers