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Bacteria that cause diseases, so-called pathogens, develop various strategies to exploit human cells as hosts to their own advantage. A team of biologists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU), together with medical professionals and experts for structure determination and imaging, has uncovered the attack strategies employed by the bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae (for short: C. pneumoniae).

Chlamydia infect human and animal host cells. C. pneumoniae, for example, is transmitted via droplet infection and attacks the respiratory tract, causing bronchitis, asthma or pneumonia. The pathogens are, however, also linked with secondary conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Reiter's disease, arteriosclerosis and lung cancer.

At HHU, the research group headed by Senior Professor Dr. Johannes H. Hegemann at the Institute for Functional Microbial Genomics has examined the infection mechanisms of the bacterium.

Hegemann's group worked with the Center for Structural Studies (CSS), the Center for Advanced Imaging (CAi) and the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II at the Medical Faculty (research group headed by Professor Dr. Reza Ahmadian).

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