Biography
Kerrie is an Instructor (Research Faculty) in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the Emory University School of Medicine. She received her PhD in 2007 from the University of Adelaide (Australia). Her thesis work examined the role of bacterial cell surface factors (lipopolysaccharide and Type V secreted outer membrane proteins) in the pathogenesis of the Gram-negative human enteric pathogen, Shigella flexneri. Her postdoctoral training in cell biology and biochemistry at the University of Adelaide (Australia) and Rutgers University (USA) focused on the mode-of-action of bacterial toxins produced by the Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Prior to joining Emory, Kerrie was an Associate Research Scholar at Princeton University developing genetic strategies to decipher mechanisms for bacterial cell surface assembly and remodeling, work that she is continuing at Emory.
Experience
Associate ScientistEmory University, USA
Associate Research Scholar
Princeton University, USA
Education
Postdoctoral Scholar
Rutgers University, USA
Postdoctoral Scholar
The University of Adelaide, Australia
PhD
The University of Adelaide, Australia
B.Sc. (Hons, 1st class)
The University of Adelaide, Australia
Publications
Lehman KM*, May KL*, Marotta J, Grabowicz M. (2023). Genetic analysis reveals a robust and hierarchical recruitment of the LolA chaperone to the LolCDE lipoprotein transporter. mBio (accepted) PubMed link…Marotta J, May KL, Bae CY, Grabowicz M. (2023). Molecular insights into Escherichia coli Cpx envelope stress response activation by the sensor lipoprotein NlpE. Mol Microbiol 119:586-595 PubMed link…
May KL (2022). Drown Them in Their Own Garbage: a New Strategy To Reverse Polymyxin Resistance? J Bacteriol. 204(2): e0057421. PubMed link…
Smith HC, May KL, Grabowicz M (2023). Teasing apart the evolution of lipoprotein trafficking in gram-negative bacteria reveals a bifunctional LolA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 120(6):e2218473120.
May, K.L., Lehman, K.M., Mitchell, A.M., and Grabowicz M. (2019). A stress response monitoring lipoprotein trafficking to the outer membrane. mBio 10(3) pii: e00618-19.
May, KL, and Grabowicz M. (2018). The bacterial outer membrane is an evolving antibiotic barrier. Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. 115(36):8852-8854.
May KL, Silhavy TJ. (2018). The Escherichia coli phospholipase PldA regulates
outer membrane homeostasis via lipid signaling. mBio. 2018; 9(2).
May KL, Silhavy TJ. (2017). Making a membrane on the other side of the wall. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 1862(11):1386-1393.
Mashruwala AA, Roberts CA, Bhatt S, May KL, Carroll RK, Shaw LN, Boyd JM. (2016). Staphylococcus aureus SufT: an essential iron-sulphur cluster assembly factor in cells experiencing a high-demand for lipoic acid. Mol. Microbiol. 102(6):1099-1119.
Sutterlin HA, Shi H, May KL, Miguel A, Khare S, Huang KC, Silhavy TJ. (2016). Disruption of lipid homeostasis in the Gram-negative cell envelope activates a novel cell death pathway. Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. 113(11):E1565-74.
Basu D, Li XP, Kahn JN, May KL, Kahn PC, Tumer NE. (2016). The A1 Subunit of Shiga Toxin 2 Has Higher Affinity for Ribosomes and Higher Catalytic Activity than the A1 Subunit of Shiga Toxin 1. Infect. & Immun. 84(1):149-61.
Doyle MT, Grabowicz M, May KL, Morona R. (2015) Lipopolysaccharide surface structure does not influence IcsA polarity. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 362(8):fnv042.
May KL, Yan Q, Tumer NE. (2013). Targeting ricin to the ribosome. Toxicon 69:143-51.
May KL, Li XP, Martínez-Azorín F, Ballesta JP, Grela P, Tchórzewski M, Tumer NE. (2012). The P1/P2 proteins of the human ribosomal stalk are required for ribosome binding and depurination by ricin in human cells. FEBS J. 279(20):3925-36.
May KL, Grabowicz M, Polyak SW, Morona R. (2012). Self-association of the Shigella flexneri IcsA autotransporter protein. Microbiology 158(Pt 7):1874-83.
May KL, Paton JC, Paton AW. (2010) Escherichia coli subtilase cytotoxin induces apoptosis regulated by host Bcl-2 family proteins Bax/Bak. Infect. & Immun. 78(11):4691-6.
May KL, Morona R. (2008). Mutagenesis of the Shigella flexneri autotransporter IcsA reveals novel functional regions involved in IcsA biogenesis and recruitment of host neural Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein. J. Bacteriol. 190(13):4666-76.
Wolfson JJ, May KL, Thorpe CM, Jandhyala DM, Paton JC, Paton AW (2008). Subtilase cytotoxin activates PERK, IRE1 and ATF6 endoplasmic reticulum stress-signalling pathways. Cell. Microbiol. 10(9):1775-86.
