MO: Evolution and Diversity of Biochemical Pathways: a Methylotrophic Microbial Observatory

博士们已获得一笔赠款。华盛顿大学的Mary Lidstrom， Ludmila Chistoserdova和Murray Hackett，继续他们的微生物观测项目，重点研究一种对环境很重要的细菌群，这种细菌生长在含有单一碳的简单化合物上：甲基化菌。在之前的资助期间，对华盛顿州华盛顿湖甲基营养体的丰度和多样性有了广泛的了解，指出存在一个多层次的微生物食物网，涉及单碳化合物的环境循环。这些研究还揭示了不同细菌甲基化营养途径进化的重要见解。新的数据表明，在纯培养物中，许多甲基化营养协会成员仍未被表征，一些成员属于新的，未被表征的门，并且它们在环境重要化合物循环中的具体作用仍不明确。下一阶段的研究将结合前沿技术，如群落DNA测序和分析、用于评估基因表达的微阵列技术和高通量群落蛋白池分析，以获得甲基营养微生物基因组决定因素、表达模式和蛋白质指纹的系统级知识，最终将这一群体的基因组潜力与其生态功能联系起来。这项工作将进一步深入了解自然界中负责单碳化合物循环的复杂群落。甲基养生物在保持自然栖息地的健康和繁荣方面发挥着重要作用，它们是一些导致全球变暖的化合物的主要消费者，如甲烷、溴甲烷和氯甲烷。确定哪些微生物类群对单碳化合物的利用负责，了解其活动的调控，以及揭示其群落内潜在的协同关系，是准确预测碳循环与全球变暖关系的重要步骤。这个项目更广泛的影响将是为分析其他复杂微生物群落的系统级方法提供一个模型。此外，该项目将作为一种工具，积极参与研究生、本科生和高中生，包括代表性不足的少数群体参与环境微生物研究。

A grant has been awarded to Drs. Mary Lidstrom, Ludmila Chistoserdova and Murray Hackett at the University of Washington, to continue their Microbial Observatories project focused on an environmentally important group of bacteria that grow on simple compounds containing a single carbon: the methylotrophs. During the prior funding period, extensive knowledge was gained on the abundance and diversity of methylotrophs in Lake Washington, WA, pointing toward the existence of a multi-tiered microbial food web involved in environmental cycling of one-carbon compounds. These studies also revealed important insights into the evolution of methylotrophic pathways in different bacteria. The new data showed that many members of the methylotrophic guild remain uncharacterized in pure cultures, some belong to novel, uncharacterized phyla, and their specific roles in the cycling of environmentally important compounds remain poorly defined. The next phase of research will use a combination of cutting edge technologies such as community DNA sequencing and analysis, microarray technology for assessing gene expression, and high throughput community protein pool analysis in order to obtain systems-level knowledge of the genomic determinants, expression patterns, and protein fingerprints of methylotrophic microorganisms, ultimately linking the genomic potential of this group to its ecological function. This work will provide further insights into the complex communities in nature that are responsible for the cycling of one-carbon compounds. Methylotrophs play an important role in keeping natural habitats healthy and thriving, and they are the main consumers of a number of compounds that contribute to global warming, such as methane, bromomethane and chloromethane. Establishing which microbial taxa are responsible for the utilization of one-carbon compounds, understanding regulation of their activities, as well as uncovering potential synergistic relationships within their communities represent important steps in developing accurate predictions regarding the relationship between the carbon cycle and global warming. The broader impact of this project will be in presenting a model for systems-level approaches to analyzing other complex microbial communities. In addition, the project will serve as a vehicle for actively involving graduate, undergraduate and high school students, including underrepresented minority groups in environmental microbial research.