Arto Pulliainen
principal investigator, PhD
bacteriology; cell biology; bacterial toxins; protein chemistry; drug development
Principal investigator (2015-, University of Turku, Turku, Finland)
Docent / Adjunct professor (2012-, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland)
Post doc (2006-2014, University of Turku, Turku, Finland and Biozentrum, Basel, Switzerland)
PhD (2006, University of Turku, Turku, Finland)
Doctoral student (2001-2006, University of Turku, Turku, Finland)
MSc (2001, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland)
Turku Cellular Microbiology Laboratory (TCML) studies the interaction of bacterial pathogens with their host cells at molecular level. Our research is focused on proteins, in particular on enzymes, of the bacterial pathogen and of the host cell that are key molecular players shaping the development and severity of an infectious disease. Our goal is to gain detailed molecular knowledge of the protein functions allowing development of targeted pharmaceuticals to prevent and treat infectious diseases.
Funding sources:
Academy of Finland, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, Finnish Cultural Foundation, The Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Emil Aaltonen Foundation, Turku University Foundation, Turku Doctoral Programme of Molecular Medicine (TuDMM), Erasmus+
bacteriology; cell biology; protein chemistry; molecular biology
- ADP-ribosyltransferase-based biocatalysis of non-hydrolyzable NAD+ analogs (2025)
- Journal of Biological Chemistry
- An endogenous human peptide derived from α1-antitrypsin as a novel pharmacological inhibitor of Bordetella pertussis toxin (2025)
- Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology
- Exacerbated salmonellosis in poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 14-deficient mice (2025)
- Microbiology spectrum
- Pathogenic bacterial taxa constitute a substantial portion of fecal microbiota in common migratory bats and birds in Europe (2025)
- Microbiology spectrum
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin inhibits pertussis toxin (2024)
- Journal of Biological Chemistry
- Body-wide genetic deficiency of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 14 sensitizes mice to colitis (2024)
- FASEB Journal
- Identification and characterization of an endogenous human protein, α1-antitrypsin, as a novel inhibitor of the Bordetella Pertussis toxin (2024)
- Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology
- Slow-lived birds and bats carry higher pathogen loads (2024)
- One Earth
- The Chaperonin TRiC/CCT Inhibitor HSF1A Protects Cells from Intoxication with Pertussis Toxin (2024)
- Toxins
- Continental-scale climatic gradients of pathogenic microbial taxa in birds and bats (2023)
- Ecography



