Dr. Gabriella Pessi
phone: +41 (0)44 63 52904
fax: +41 (0)44 63 48204 Research InterestsKeywords Education Previous Positions and Research Experience Fellowships and Awards List of Publications |  |
| [ print version ] |
Functional genomics in different Burkholderia strains. We focus on the application of functional genomics techniques such as RNA-seq, proteomics, and other high-throughput approaches to analyse the role of cell-to-cell communication in biofilm formation, pathogenicity and multi-drug resistance in the opportunistic pathogen Burkholderia cenocepacia. The integrated analysis of various predicted protein parameters, phylogenetic conservation and literature mining will allow prioritizing top candidates for mutant strain construction and characterization for their virulence in different infection models.
Burkholderia, B-rhizobia, symbiosis, nitrogen fixation, competition, RNA-seq, proteomics, metabolomics
| 1996 - 2000 | Ph.D with Prof. Dieter Haas at the Department of Microbiology, University of Lausanne (CH) |
| 1990 - 1995 | Federal diploma in Science at the ETH Zürich (CH) |
| Feb 2011 - present | Group leader, with Prof. Leo Eberl, Microbiology Department, University of Zurich (CH) |
| 2009 - jan 2011 | Group leader, with Prof. Hauke Hennecke, Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zürich (CH) |
| 2005 - 2009 | Postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Hauke Hennecke, Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zürich (CH) |
| 2002 - 2005 | Postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Choukri Ben Mamoun Lab at the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Connecticut Health Center (USA) |
| 2001 - 2002 | Postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Fabrizio Arigoni at the Nestlé Research Center, Lausanne (CH) |
| 2005 | Encouragement Award from the Swiss Society of Microbiology |
Bellés-Sancho P., Lardi M., Liu Y., Hug S., Pinto-Carbo' M.A., Zamboni N. and Pessi G. (2021). Paraburkholderia phymatum homocitrate synthase NifV plays a key role for nitrogenase activity during symbiosis with Papilionoids and in free-living growth conditions. Cells. 10(4):952. doi: 10.3390/cells10040952.
Link
Bellés-Sancho, P., Lardi, M., Liu, Y., Eberl, L., Zamboni, N., Bailly, A., and Pessi, G. (2021). Metabolomics and dual RNA-sequencing on root nodules revealed new cellular functions controlled by Paraburkholderia phymatum NifA. Metabolites. 11(7):455. doi: 10.3390/metabo11070455.
Link
Hug S., Liu Y., Heiniger B., Bailly A., Ahren, C.H., Eberl L., and Pessi G. (2021). Differential expression of Paraburkholderia phymatum type VI secretion systems (T6SS) suggests a role of T6SS-b in early symbiotic interaction. Front. Plant. Sci. 12:699590.
Link
Luther A., Urfer M., Zahn M., Müller M., Wang S.Y., Mondal M., Vitale A., Hartmann J.B., Sharpe T., Monte F.L., Kocherla H., Cline E., Pessi G., Rath P., Modaresi S.M., Chiquet P., Stiegeler S., Verbree C., Remus T., Schmitt M., Kolopp C., Westwood M.A., Desjonquères N., Brabet E., Hell S., LePoupon K., Vermeulen A., Jaisson R., Rithié V., Upert G., Lederer A., Zbinden P., Wach A., Moehle K., Zerbe K., Locher H.H., Bernardini F., Dale G.E., Eberl .L, Wollscheid B., Hiller S., Robinson J.A., Obrecht D. (2019). Chimeric peptidomimetic antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria. Nature; 576(7787):452-458.doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1665-6.
Link
Vitale A., Paszti S., Takahashi K., Toyofuku M., Pessi G. and Eberl L. (2020). The Mapping of the denitrification pathway in Burkholderia thailandensis by genome-wide mutant profiling. J Bacteriol. 202(23):e00304-20. doi: 10.1128/JB.00304-20.
Link
Liu Y., Bellich B., Hug S., Eberl L., Cescutti P. and Pessi G. (2020). The exopolysaccharide cepacian plays a role in the establishment of the Paraburkholderia phymatum - Phaseolus vulgari Symbiosis. Front Microbiol. 11:1600. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01600.
Link
Fernández, N., Cabrera, J.J., Varadarajan, A.R., Lutz, S., Ledermann, R., Roschitzki, B., Eberl, L., Bedmar, E. J., Fischer, H. M., Pessi, G., Ahrens, C. H., and S. Mesa. (2019). An integrated systems approach unveils new aspects of microoxia-mediated regulation in Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Front Microbiol. 10:924. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00924
Link
Jenul, C., Sieber, S., Daeppen, C., Mathew, A., Lardi, M., Pessi, G., Hoepfner, D., Neuburger, M., Linden, A., Gademann, K., and Eberl, L. (2018). Biosynthesis of fragin is controlled by a novel quorum sensing signal. Nat Commun; 9(1):1297.
Link
Lardi, M. and Pessi, G (2018).Functional genomics approaches to studying symbioses between legumes and nitrogen-fixing Rhizobia. High Throughput. 7(2) pii: E15. doi: 10.3390/ht7020015.
Link
Lardi, M., Liu, Y., Giudice, G., Ahrens, C. H., Zamboni, N., and Pessi, G (2018). Metabolomic and transcriptomics identify multiple downstream targets of Paraburkholderia phymatum sigma54 during symbiosis with Phaseolus vulgaris. Int J Mol Sci. 19(4) pii: E1049. doi: 10.3390/ijms19041049
Link
Liu, Y., Pessi, G., Riedel, K., and Eberl, L. (2018). Identification of AHL- and BDSF-controlled proteins in Burkholderia cenocepacia by proteomics. In: Quorum Sensing: Methods and Protocols, II edition. Springer series "Methods in Molecular Biology", Chapter 15. 193-202.
Link
Vetterli, S. U., Zerbe, K., Müller, M., Urfer, M., Mondal, M., Wang, S. Y., Moehle, K., Zerbe, O., Vitale, A., Pessi, G., Eberl, Wollscheid, B., L., and Robinson, J.A. (2018). Thanatin targets the intermembrane protein complex required for lipopolysaccharide transport in Escherichia coli. Sci. Adv. 4(11):eaau2634. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aau2634.
Link
Lardi, M., Liu, Y., Purtschert, G., de Campos, S. B., and Pessi, G. (2017). Transcriptome analysis of Paraburkholderia phymatum under nitrogen starvation and during symbiosis Phaseolus vulgaris. Genes; 8:389
Link
Lardi, M., de Campos, S. B., Purtschert, G., Eberl, L., and Pessi, G. (2017). Competition experiments for legume infection identify Burkholderia phymatum as a highly competitive Beta-Rhizobium. Front Microbiol; 8:1527
Link
Liu, Y., Lardi, M., Pedrioli, A., Eberl, L., and Pessi, G. (2017). NtrC-dependent control of exopolysaccharide synthesis and motility in Burkholderia cenocepacia H111. PLoS ONE. 12(6): e0180362.
Link
Schmid, N., Suppiger, A., Steiner, E., Pessi, G., Kaever, V., Fazli, M., Tolker-Nielsen, T., Jenal, U., and Eberl, L. (2017). High intracellular c-di-GMP levels antagonize quorum sensing and virulence gene expression in Burkholderia cenocepacia H111. Microbiology; 163(5):754-64.
Link
de Campos, S. B., Lardi, M., Gandolfi, A., Eberl, L., and Pessi, G. (2017). Mutations in two Paraburkholderia phymatum type VI secretion systems cause reduced fitness in interbacterial competition. Front Microbiol; 8:2473
Link
Cuklina, J., Hahn, J., Imakaev, M., Omasits, U., Förster, K. U., Ljubimov, N., Goebel, M., Pessi, G., Fischer H. M., Ahrens, C.H., Gelfand, M.S., and Evguenieva-Hackenberg, E. (2016).Genome-wide transcription start site mapping of Bradyrhizobium japonicum grown free-living or in symbiosis-a rich resource to identify new transcripts, proteins and to study gene regulation.BMC Genomics 17, 302
Link
Lardi, M.*, Murset, V.*, Fischer, H. M., Mesa, S., Ahrens, C. H., Zamboni, N.#, and Pessi, G.# (2016). Metabolomic profiling of Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens-induced root nodules reveals both host plant-specific and developmental signatures. Int J Mol Sci. 27 pii: E815. doi: 10.3390 *Equal Contribution, # corresponding authors
Link
Turnbull, L., Toyofuku, M., Hynen, A.L., Kurosawa, M., Pessi, G., Petty, N.K., Osvath, S.R., Carcamo-Oyarce, G., Gloag, E.S., Shimoni, R., Omasits, U., Ito, S., Yap, X., Monahan, L.G., Cavaliere, R., Ahrens, C.H., Charles, I.G., Nomura, N., Eberl, L., and Whitchurch, C. B (2016). Explosive cell lysis as a mechanism for the biogenesis of bacterial membrane vesicles and biofilms. Nat Commun. 7:11220
Link
Urfer, M., Bogdanovic, J., Lo Monte, F., Moehle, K., Zerbe, K., Omasits, U., Ahrens, C.H., Pessi, G., Eberl, L., and Robinson, J.A. (2016). A Peptidomimetic Antibiotic Targets Outer Membrane Proteins and Disrupts Selectively the Outer Membrane in Escherichia coli. J. Biol. Chem. 291:1921-32
Link
Weigert,M., Ross-Gillespie, A., Leinweber, A., Pessi, G., Brown, S. P., and Kümmerli, R. (2016). Manipulating virulence factor availability can have complex consequences for infections. Evol Appl. 10(1): 91-101.
Link
Lardi, M.*, Aguilar, C.*, Pedrioli, A., Omasits, U., Suppiger, A., Cárcamo-Oyarce, G., Schmid, N., Ahrens, C.H, Eberl, L.#, and Pessi, G.#. (2015). sigma54-dependent response to nitrogen limitation and virulence in Burkholderia cenocepacia H111. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 81(12):4077-89. doi: 10.1128/AEM.00694-15
*Equal Contribution, # corresponding authors
Link
Aguilar, C., Schmid, N., Lardi, M., Pessi, G., and Eberl, L. (2014). The IclR-family regulator BapR controls biofilm formation in Burkholderia cenocepacia H111.PLoS One. 21;9(3):e92920. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092920.
Link
Carlier, A., Agnoli, K., Pessi, G., Suppiger, A., Jenul, C., Schmid, N., Tümmler, B., Pinto-Carbo, M., and Eberl, L. (2014). Genome Sequence of Burkholderia cenocepacia H111, a Cystic Fibrosis Airway Isolate. Genome Announc. 2(2). pii: e00298-14. doi: 10.1128/genomeA.00298-14.
Link
Carlier, A., Agnoli, K., Pessi, G., Suppiger, A., Jenul, C., Schmid, N., Tümmler, B., Pinto-Carbo, M., and L. Eberl. 2014. Genome Sequence of Burkholderia cenocepacia H111, a Cystic Fibrosis Airway Isolate. Genome Announc. 10; (2). pii: e00298-14. doi: 10.1128/genomeA.00298-14.
Koch, M., Delmotte, N., Ahrens, C. H., Omasits, U., Schneider, K., Danza, F., Padhi, B., Murset, V., Braissant, O., Vorholt, J. A., Hennecke, H., and Pessi, G. (2014). A link between arabinose utilization and oxalotrophy in Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Appl Environ Microbiol 80:2094-2101.
Link
Pessi, G.#, Braunwalder, R., Grunau, A., Omasits, U., Ahrens, C.H., and Eberl, L. (2013). Response of Burkholderia cenocepacia H111 to micro-oxia. PLoS One 2;8:e72939. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072939. #, corresponding author
Link
Pessi, G., Braunwalder, R., Grunau, A., Omasits, U., Ahrens, C.H., and L. Eberl. 2013. Response of Burkholderia cenocepacia H111 to micro-oxia.PLoS One 2;8:e72939. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072939
Link
Suppiger, A., Schmid, N., Aguilar, C., Pessi, G., and Eberl, L. (2013). Two quorum sensing systems control biofilm formation and virulence in members of the Burkholderia cenocepacia complex.Virulence 4:400-9
Link
Suppiger, A., Schmid, N., Aguilar, C., Pessi, G., and L. Eberl. 2013. Two quorum sensing systems control biofilm formation and virulence in members of the Burkholderia cepacia complex.Virulence 4:400-
Madhugiri, R., Pessi, G., Voss, B., Hahn, J., Sharma, C.M., Reinhardt, R., Vogel, J., Hess, W.R., Fischer, H.M., and Evguenieva-Hackenberg, E. (2012). Small RNAs of Bradyrhizobium/Rhodopseudomonas limeage and their analysis. RNA Biol. 9:47-58.
Link
Murset,V., Hennecke,H., and Pessi, G. (2012). Disparate role of rhizobial ACC deaminase in root-nodule symbioses. Symbiosis 57:43–50.
Schmid, N., Pessi, G., Deng, Y., Aguilar, C., Carlier, A.L., Grunau, A., Omasits, U., Zhang, L.H., Ahrens, C.H., and L. Eberl. 2012. The AHL- and BDSF-dependent Quorum Sensing Systems control specific and overlapping sets of genes in Burkholderia cenocepacia H111. PLoS One 7:e49966
Lindemann, A., Pessi, G., Schaefer, A.L., Mattmann, M.E., Christensen, Q.H., Kessler, A., Hennecke, H., Blackwell, H.E., Greenberg, E.P., and Harwood, C.S. (2011). Isovaleryl-homoserine lactone, an unusual branched-chain quorum-sensing signal from the soybean symbiont Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108:16765-16770.
Link
A. Lindemann, M. Koch, G. Pessi, A. Müller, S. Balsiger, H. Hennecke, and H. M. Fischer (2010). Host-specific symbiotic requirement of BdeAB, a RegR- controlled RND-type efflux system in Bradyrhizobium japonicum. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 312(2):184-191.
M. Koch, N. Delmotte, H. Rehrauer, J. A. Vorholt, G. Pessi*, and H. Hennecke* (2010). Rhizobial adaptation to hosts: a new facet in the legume root-nodule symbiosis. Mol. Plant-Microbe In teract. 23(6):784-790. * equal contribution
N. Delmotte, C. Ahrens, C. Knief, E. Qeli, M. Koch, H. M. Fischer, J. A. Vorholt, H. Hennecke, and G. Pessi (2010). An integrated proteomics and transcriptomics reference dataset provides new insights into the Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroid metabolism in soybean root nodules. Proteomics 10:1391-1400.
B. Gourion, S. Sulser, J. Frunzke, A. Francez-Charlot, P. Stiefel, G. Pessi, J. A. Vorholt, and H. M. Fischer (2009). The PhyR-sigma (EcfG) signalling cascade is involved in stress response and symbiotic efficiency in Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Mol Microbiol. 73(2): 291-305.
S. Hacker, J. Gödeke, A. Lindemann, S. Mesa, G. Pessi, and F. Narberhaus (2008). Global consequences of phosphatidylcholine reduction in Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Mol Genet Genomics. 280(1):59-72.
W. H. Witola, K. El Bissati, G. Pessi, C. Xie, P.D. Roepe, and C. Ben Mamoun (2008). Disruption of the Plasmodium falciparum PfPMT gene results in a complete loss of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis via the serine-decarboxylase-phosphoethanolamine-methyltransferase pathway and severe growth and survival defects. J Biol Chem. 283(41):27636-27643.
A.Lindemann, A. Moser, G. Pessi, F. Hauser, M. Friberg, H. Hennecke, and H. M. Fischer (2007). New target genes controlled by the Bradyrhizobium japonicum two-component regulatory system RegSR. J. Bacteriol. 189(24): 8928-8943. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17951393 2007
G. Pessi, C. H. Ahrens, H. Rehrauer, A. Lindemann, F. Hauser, H. M. Fischer, and H. Henneck (2007). Genome-wide transcript analysis of Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroids in soybean root nodules. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 20(11):1353-1363. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17977147 2007
A. Lindemann, F. Hauser, G. Pessi, S. Mesa, H. M. Fischer, and H. Hennecke (2006). The oxygen regulatory network of Bradyrhizobium japonicum: New insights from genome-wide transcriptome analyses. p 120-125. In F. Sánchez, C. Quinto, I. López-Lara, and O. Geiger (ed.), Biology of plant-microbe interactions. International Society of Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
G. Pessi (2006). Neue Waffe im Kampf gegen Malaria. Pipette (SULM journal). 1:19. http://www.sulm.ch/pipette_magazin/files/pipette/2006-01/2006-01-027.PDF
W. H. Witola, G. Pessi, K. Elbissati, J. M. Reynolds, and C. Ben Mamoun (2006). Localization of the phosphoethanolamine methyltransferase of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum to the golgi apparatus. J Biol Chem. 281(30):21305-21311.
G. Pessi, J.Y. Choi, J.M. Reynolds, D.R. Voelker, C.B. Ben Mamoun. (2005). In vivo evidence for the specificity of Plasmodium falciparum phosphoethanolamine methyltransferase and its coupling to the Kennedy pathway. J Biol. Chem 280(13):12461-12466
Link
G. Pessi and D. Haas (2004). Cyanogenesis. In: The Pseudomonads, (J.L. Ramos, ed.), Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. Vol. 3: 671-686.
G. Pessi, G. Kociubinski, and C. Ben Mamoun (2004). A pathway for phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in Plasmodium falciparum involving phosphoethanolamine methylation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101(16):6206-6211.
K. Heurlier, F. Williams, S. Heeb, C. Dormond, G. Pessi, D. Singer, M. Camara, P. Williams, and D. Haas (2004). Positive control of swarming, rhamnolipid synthesis and lipase production by the post-transcriptional RsmA/RsmZ system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J. Bacteriol. 186:2936-2945.
K. Heurlier, V. Denervaud, C. Reimmann, G. Pessi, C. Reimmann, and D. Haas (2003). Negative control of quorum sensing by RpoN (sigma54) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. J. Bacteriol. 185:2227-2235. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12644493
S. Zuber, F. Carruthers, C. Keel, A. Mattart, C. Blumer, G. Pessi, C. Gigot-Bonnefoy, U. Schnider-Keel, S. Heeb, C. Reimmann, and D. Haas (2003) GacS sensor domains pertinent to the regulation of formation and to the biocontrol potential of Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact.16 (7):634-644.
M. A. Shell, M. Karmirantzou, B. Snel, D. Vilanova, B. Berger, G. Pessi, M. C. Zwahlen, F. Deziere, P. Bork, M. Delley, R. D. Pridmore, and F. Arigoni (2002). The genome sequence of Bifidobacterium longum reflects its adaptation to the human gastrointestinal tract. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99 (22):14422-14427.
G. Pessi and D. Haas (2001). Dual control of hydrogen cyanide biosynthesis by the global activator GacA in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. FEMS Microbiol. Lett 200:73-78.
G. Pessi, C. Blumer, and D. Haas (2001). lacZ fusions report gene expression, don't they? Microbiology 147:1993-1995.
G. Pessi, F. Williams, Z. Hindle, K. Heurlier, M. Holden, M. Camara, D. Haas, and P. Williams (2001). The global posttranscriptional regulator RsmA modulates production of virulence determinants and N-acylhomoserine lactones in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J. Bacteriol. 183:6676-6683.
G. Pessi (2000). Regulation of cyanogenesis in the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1. Thesis at Lausanne University.
G. Pessi and D. Haas (2000). Transcriptional control of the hydrogen cyanide biosynthetic genes hcnABC by the anaerobic regulator ANR and the Quorum sensing regulators LasR and RhlR in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J. Bacteriol. 182: 6940-6949.
C. Blumer, S. Heeb, G. Pessi, and D. Haas (1999). Global GacA-steered control of cyanide and exoprotease production in Pseudomonas fluorescens involves specific ribosome binding sites. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:14073-14078.