Intercellular Signaling in Vibrio Harveyi

群体感应是一种过程，允许细菌通过分泌的化学信号分子进行交流，这种化学信号分子被称为自诱导剂。这个过程使细菌群体能够共同调节基因表达，从而调节行为。一般来说，由群体感应控制的过程是由单个细菌进行时无效，但由群体进行时有效的过程。例如，群体感应控制生物发光、毒力因子的分泌、孢子形成和接合。我们现在知道，物种内和物种间的细胞-细胞之间的通信发生了，这种通信能力的组合首次被描述，并得到了最彻底的研究，在模型发光细菌Vibrio harveyi。本项目以harvey为研究对象，旨在探索群体感应控制基因调控的分子机制，进一步确定群体感应调控的成员，确定基因表达的层次结构，并探索来自种内和种间自诱导因子的信息如何被整合、加工和转导以控制整个群落的行为。教学和服务相关的活动是这个项目的一部分。这些活动包括指导本科生、研究生和博士后，指导普林斯顿大学本科生和研究生课程，指导普林斯顿大学分子生物学研究生项目，主持普林斯顿大学生物学伞型发展项目，以及科学方向、课程开发和教师招聘委员会。一项向当地儿童和青少年教授科学的高中拓展计划正在制定之中。纽约科学博物馆正在开发科学展览。在《分子微生物学》、《遗传学》、《细菌学杂志》和《细胞与分子蛋白质组学》的董事会中担任编辑职务。拨款和奖学金审查工作将为NSF、Keck、Damon Runyon、ASM和AAM进行。

Quorum sensing is a process that allows bacteria to communicate using secreted chemical signaling molecules called autoinducers. This process enables a population of bacteria to collectively regulate gene expression, and therefore behavior. In general, processes controlled by quorum sensing are ones that are unproductive when undertaken by an individual bacterium but become effective when undertaken by the group. For example, quorum sensing controls bioluminescence, secretion of virulence factors, sporulation, and conjugation. We now know that intra- and inter-species cell-cell communication occurs, and this combination of communication abilities was first described, and has been most thoroughly studied, in the model luminous bacterium Vibrio harveyi. The project focuses on V. harveyi, with the aims of exploring the molecular mechanisms used for quorum sensing controlled gene regulation, further defining the members of the quorum sensing regulon, determining the hierarchy of gene expression, and exploring how information from the intra- and inter-species autoinducers is integrated, processed and transduced to control community-wide behavior. Teaching and service related activities are being undertaken as part of this project. These activities include mentoring of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral fellows, instruction in Princeton University undergraduate and graduate courses, Direction of the Princeton Graduate Program in Molecular Biology, and Chairing of the Princeton University Biology Umbrella Development Program, and the Committee for Scientific Direction, Curriculum Development, and Faculty Recruitment. A high school outreach program is being developed for teaching science to local children and teens. Science exhibits are being developed for Science Museum in NYC. Editorial duties will be fulfilled on the boards of Molecular Microbiology, Genetics, Journal of Bacteriology, and Cellular an Molecular Proteomics. Grant and fellowship review work will be performed for NSF, Keck, Damon Runyon, ASM and AAM.