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

MO：生化途径的进化和多样性：甲基营养微生物观测站

• 批准号: 0604269
• 负责人: Ludmila Chistoserdova
• 金额: $ 150万
• 依托单位: University of Washington
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-08-15 至 2012-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0604269&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MO; Evolution; Diversity; Biochemical; Pathways

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.

华盛顿大学的玛丽·利德斯特伦博士、柳德米拉·奇斯托瑟多娃博士和默里·哈克特博士获得了一笔赠款，以继续他们的微生物观测站项目，该项目的重点是一组对环境有重要意义的细菌，它们生长在含有一个碳原子的简单化合物上：甲基营养菌。在前一个资助期内，获得了关于华盛顿州华盛顿湖甲基营养菌丰度和多样性的广泛知识，指出存在一个涉及一碳化合物环境循环的多层微生物食物网。这些研究还揭示了不同细菌中甲基营养途径进化的重要见解。新的数据表明，许多甲基营养集团的成员在纯培养物中仍然没有特征，有些属于新的，未特征化的门，它们在环境重要化合物循环中的具体作用仍然不清楚。下一阶段的研究将使用尖端技术的组合，如社区DNA测序和分析，用于评估基因表达的微阵列技术，以及高通量社区蛋白池分析，以获得系统水平的甲基营养微生物的基因组决定因素，表达模式和蛋白质指纹的知识，最终将该组的基因组潜力与其生态功能联系起来。这项工作将为自然界中负责一碳化合物循环的复杂社区提供进一步的见解。甲基营养菌在保持自然栖息地健康和繁荣方面发挥着重要作用，它们是许多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负责利用一碳化合物，了解其活动的调节，以及揭示其社区内的潜在协同关系，是准确预测碳循环与全球变暖之间关系的重要步骤。该项目的更广泛的影响将是提出一个系统级方法的模型来分析其他复杂的微生物群落。此外，该项目将作为一个工具，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在环境微生物研究。