Department of Microbiology

Ho Bow


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Ho Bow BSc (Hons), PhD

Associate Professor

Tel: +65 6874 3672
Fax: +65 6776 6872
Email: michob@nus.edu.sg

Pathogenesis of peptic ulcer causing bacteria, Helicobacter pylori
H. pylori remains the only known bacterial pathogen that is strongly associated with peptic ulcers and gastric carcinoma. Bacterial, environmental, population-related and host factors are major determinants of H. pylori infection. However, the true mechanism of pathogenesis and the route of transmission of H. pylori infection have not been clearly established. We have identified several interesting proteins that show link to pathogenesis of the organism. Furthermore, our study on the extracellular polysaccharide production has shown that biofilm formation by H. pylori has revealed that such development provides a means of survival strategy to its survivability in the extra-gastric environment. We seek to:

understand how newly identified proteins contribute to H. pylori pathogenesis
examine the role of biofilm as the possible route of transmission
develop vaccine and alternate treatment against H. pylori infections

Host-pathogen interactions
Gram negative bacterial endotoxin is a major cause of high mortality in septic shock. The Singaporean horseshoe crab, a living fossil, possesses many interesting innate molecules that have hitherto not described. We have cloned and expressed recombinant Factor C for use in rapid detection and removal of endotoxin contamination in pharmaceutical preparations. These technologies have been licensed and commercialized as Pyrogene (Lonza) and Endosafe (BDTI). Studies are now in progress to discover and examine the novel immune-responsive biomolecules in the ancient invertebrate. We are studying the:

use of Factor C as antimicrobial against multiply antibiotic resistant bacteria
role of novel biomolecules in innate immunity and pathogen surveilence
origins and conservation of important immune defense mechanisms

Li Y, Ng PM, Ho B and Ding JL (2007) A female-specific pentraxin, CrOctin, bridges pattern recognition receptors to bacterial phosphoethanolamine. Eur. J. Immunol. 37:3477-3488

Loh WB, Wang X, Hanh BTH, Luan XL, Ho B and Ding JL (2008) SARM: a novel Toll-like receptor adaptor is functionally conserved from arthropod to human. Mol. Immunol. 45:1732-1742

Ze HF, Wang XW, Lu JH, Ho B and Ding JL (2008) Elucidating the function of an ancient NF-kB p100 Homologue, CrRelish, in Antibacterial Defence. Infect. Immunol. 76:664-670

Saux AL, Ng PML, Koh JJY, Low DHP, Leong GE, Ho B and Ding JL (2008) The Maromolecular Assembly of Pathogen-recognition receptors is impelled by serine proteases, via their complement control protein modules. J. Mol. Biol. 377:902-913

Jiang N, Tan NS, Ho B and Ding JL (2007) Respiratory proteins generate ROS as an antimicrobial strategy. Nat. Immunol. 8:1114-1122

Loke MF, Lui SY, Ng BL, Gong M and Ho B (2007) Antiadhesive property of microalgal polysaccharide extract on the binding of Helicobacter pylori to gastric mucin. FEMS Immunol. Med. Microbiol. 50:231-238

Ng PML, Soux A Le, Lee CM, Tan NS, Ho B and Ding JL (2007) C-reactive protein collaborates with plasma lectins to boost immune response against bacteria. EMBO J. 26:3431-3440

Wang XW, Tan NS, Ho B and Ding JL (2006) "Evidence for the ancient origin of the NFkB/IkB cascade ‑ its archaic role in infection and immunity". Proceedings of the Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 103:4204‑4209

Zhu Y, Thangamani S, Ho B and Ding JL (2005) The ancient origin of the complement system. EMBO J. 24:382-394

Gong M, Yeoh KG and Ho B (2004) Prominent role of λ glutamyl-transferase on the growth of H. pylori. World. J. Gasteroenterol. 10:2994-2996

Lui SY, Yeoh KY and Ho B (2003) Metronidazole resistant H. pylori is moreprevalent in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia than peptic ulcer patients in a multi-ethnic Asian population. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41:5011-5014

Wang J, Tan NS, Ho B and Ding JL (2002) Modular arrangement and secretion of a multidomain serine protease: evidence for involvement of praline-rich region and N- glycans in the secretion pathway. J. Biol. Chem. 277:36363-36372

Ding JL and Ho B (2001) New era in pyrogen testing. Trends Biotechnol. 19:277-281

Zheng P, Hua J, Yeoh KG and Ho B (2000) Association of peptic ulcer with increased expression of Lewis antigens in H. pylori in an Asian population. GUT. 47:18-22