Endosymbiosis and Origin of New Cell Components

这项研究的目的是阐明一个独特的阿米巴-细菌共生系统中宿主-共生体的关系。这项研究将集中在共生体膜上，这是一种细胞内膜，定义了内生细菌所在的细胞内隔间。要问的问题包括：共生体膜的生化组成有什么独特之处？共生体膜如何参与防止共生菌的溶酶体消化？共生体膜如何参与细菌对宿主的相互依赖和宿主对细菌的生存？这些问题将使用现代生化和分子生物学方法来解决，包括用于检测独特抗原的单抗和免疫细胞化学研究。这项研究与广泛的内生共生系统有关，包括但不限于豆科植物根细胞中的固氮菌和胞内寄生细菌病。

The goal of this research is to elucidate host-symbiont relationships in a unique model ameba-bacteria symbiotic system. The research will focus on the symbiosome membrane, which is the intracellular membrane defining the intracellular compartment in which the endocytic bacteria reside. Questions to be asked include: what is unique about the biochemical makeup of the symbiosome membrane? How is the symbiosome membrane involved in the prevention of lysosomal digestion of the symbiotic bacteria? How is the symbiosome membrane involved in the mutual dependency for survival of the bacteria on the host and the host on the bacteria? These questions will be addressed using modern biochemical and molecular biological approaches, including monoclonal antibodies for detection of unique antigens and immunocytochemical studies. This research has relevance to a wide range of endosymbiotic systems, including but not limited to the nitrogen-fixing bacteria contained within root cells of leguminous plants and intracellular parasitic bacterial diseases.