ITR: Comparative Genomic Analysis of Signal Transduction in Prokaryotes

EIA-0219079 Jouline，Igor BGeorgia Technology Research Corporation - GITITR：原核生物信号转导的比较基因组分析全基因组测序项目彻底改变了我们对生物学的理解，并为基础研究及其在医学，农业和环境中的应用开辟了新的机会。积累基因组数据产生了对基因组序列的快速生物学解释的需要，并将这种知识整合到基因组信息数据库中，供生物医学和环境科学家立即使用。蛋白质组成的信号转导网络控制大多数重要的功能，在任何给定的有机体，有益的或有害的。然而，目前对信号转导蛋白基因组数据的解释未能为理解其生物学作用提供足够的信息。该研究项目的目标是显着提高信号转导蛋白的生物学功能的预测，并解开各种有益和病原微生物中潜在的新信号转导机制和途径。这将通过系统的计算方法来实现，该方法集成了对单个蛋白质的功能元件（结构域）以及进化和基因组背景信息的深入分析。所获得的结果将被纳入主要数据库，并将允许自动检测生物学上重要的蛋白质。本项目提出的研究将有助于更好地理解信号转导系统的组织和进化（基础方面）。 反过来，这将有助于实验科学家确定病原体中抗菌药物设计的目标，并提高用于生物施肥和生物修复目的的微生物的有益能力（应用方面）。

EIA-0219079Jouline, Igor BGeorgia Technology Research Corporation - GITITR: Comparative Genomic Analysis of Signal Transduction in ProkaryotesWhole genome sequencing projects revolutionize our understanding of biology and open up new opportunities for fundamental research and its applications to medicine, agriculture and environment. Accumulating genomic data generates the need for rapid biological interpretation of genome sequences and integration of this knowledge into databases of genomic information for immediate use by biomedical and environmental scientists. Proteins comprising signal transduction networks control most vital functions in any given organism, beneficial or harmful. However, current interpretation of genomic data for signal transduction proteins fails to provide sufficient information for understanding their biological role. The goal of this research project is to significantly improve prediction of biological functions for signal transduction proteins and to unravel potentially novel signal transduction mechanisms and pathways in various beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms. This will be achieved through a systematic computational approach, which integrates in-depth analysis of functional elements (domains) of individual proteins and evolutionary and genome context information. The results obtained will be incorporated into primary databases and will allow automated detection of biologically important proteins. The research proposed in this project will contribute to a better understanding of the organization and evolution of signal transduction systems (fundamental aspect). This, in turn, will assist experimental scientists in identification of targets for antimicrobial drug design in pathogens and in improving beneficial capabilities of microorganisms used for biofertilization and bioremediation purposes (applied aspect).