Genetic and Biochemical Studies of Swimming Motility in a Marine Synechococcus

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9727759 Brahamsha Certain marine unicellular cyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus exhibit a mysterious type of swimming motility characterized by the absence of flagella and of any obvious organelle of motility. In previous work, Dr. Brahamsha has obtained mutants impaired in swimming motility and has identified an abundant cell-surface polypeptide, SwmA, that is required for swimming. The objectives of this project are two-fold: 1) to characterize existing motility mutants and isolate new ones and 2) to begin studies of SwmA's function. This will be accomplished by combining genetic and biochemical approaches. Studies of SwmA function will include cross-linking studies to determine the polypeptides it interacts with. Characterization of the mutants will include isolating the genes responsible, determining their nucleotide sequences, and localizing their products in Synechococcus cells. These studies should provide insights not only into the mechanism of this unique type of prokaryotic motility but also into the fundamental question of how organisms convert chemical energy into motion.