Bacterial Stress Adaptation and Host–Phage Interactions in Escherichia coli

PhD defence by Yueyue Liu

Assessment Committee

Professor Michael Lisby, Biology, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Professor Sivaramesh Wigneshweraraj, Imperial College London
Professor Jade Wang, Universities of Wisconsin-Madison

Supervisors

Associate Professor Yong Zhang

Department

Department of Biology

Place

The defence is conducted as a hybrid defence.

To attend the defence in person:
Building: biocenter, Room: 1.1.13A,
Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2300 Copenhagen

To attend the defence online:
Please follow the link to attend the defence online:
https://ucph-ku.zoom.us/j/61217768898?pwd=0r0C3HhSLTd4V9tUGe8h9b7610WOg8.1
MeetingID, if relevant: 612 1776 8898
Password, if relevant: 261857

Email address to gain access to the thesis: liu.yueyue@bio.ku.dk.
You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.
Recipients of copies of the thesis are not allowed to share or distribute it due to copyright compliance.

Short description of the thesis

Bacteria constantly face challenges such as nutrient limitation, acid stress, and infection by bacteriophages. This thesis investigates how Escherichia coli adapts to these changing conditions. The first part shows how the signalling molecule ppGpp helps balance bacterial metabolism, providing the glutamate needed for growth and survival under severe acid stress. The second part examines the interaction between E. coli and bacteriophage T7. It reveals how the phage protein Gp1.5 changes bacterial stress responses and helps T7 overcome host protection during nutrient limitation. Together, these findings show that bacterial physiology plays a central role in both environmental survival and the outcome of phage infection.