On the role of penicillin-binding protein SpoVD in endospore cortex assembly

Sammanfattning: Popular Abstract in English An endospore, which can be formed by some bacteria, is a dormant and extremely endurable state which helps the cell to survive long periods of harsh environmental conditions. The penicillin-binding protein SpoVD in Bacillus subtilis is essential for the synthesis of the endospore cortex, a protective layer consisting of modified peptidoglycan. In depth investigation of the process of cortex assembly contributes to our understanding of peptidoglycan synthesis in general. Peptidoglycan is a major component of the bacterial cell wall, a structure that determines cell shape and is crucial for cell viability. The findings presented in this PhD thesis in microbiology is of considerable medicinal interest, because several major human pathogens form endospores and peptidoglycan synthesis is an effective target for many antibiotics in clinical use (e.g. penicillins and cephalosporins) and eventual new drugs.