Transcriptional Analysis of the Deep-Sea Vent Epsilonproteobacterium, Caminibacter Mediatlanticus, in Response to Different Growth Conditions

智力上的优点。这个项目的重点是中间弯曲杆菌的能量代谢和群体感应，因为这种占主导地位的深海喷口细菌占据了基于化学合成的食物链的底部。这项研究是第一次收集这些地点初级生产者的生理相关数据，这将为微生物基因调控和表达对环境变化的反应提供重要的见解。基于从该生物体基因组序列中获得的信息，该项目将结合使用批次、连续培养和原位培养进行的生理实验，以及特定基因表达的量化(通过qRT-PCR)。这项拟议研究的意义在于，将在反映营养物质浓度的生长条件下研究南方金枪鱼的基因表达，以反映该生物在其自然环境中实际遇到的营养物质浓度。这种基于基因组的研究对于获得与其自然栖息地具有生态相关性的生物体中的基因表达的基本信息以及弥合纯培养的实验室调查和自然微生物群落的环境研究之间的差距至关重要。这些生物的生物技术用途可能会对许多领域产生重大影响。更广泛的影响。该项目将为一名研究生提供培训机会。一些本科生和高中生也参与了这个项目。与大西洋中部海洋科学教育卓越中心(COSEE)的合作将有助于将这项研究转化为K-12和公众受众。此外，以《国家科学数字图书馆生命科学侦察报告》为特色的深海微生物实验室网站将确保迅速和广泛地传播这项研究的结果。

Intellectual merit. The focus of this project on energy metabolism and quorum sensing in Caminibacter mediatlanticus is particularly important as this dominant deep-sea vent bacterium occupies the bottom of the chemosynthesis-based food chain. This study is the first to collect physiologically relevant data about primary producers at these sites, which will provide major insights on microbial gene regulation and expression in response to changing conditions in the environment. Building on information gained from the genome sequence of this organism, this project will combine physiological experiments, carried out using batch, continuous cultures, and in-situ incubations, with the quantification of the expression of specific genes (by qRT-PCR). The significance of the proposed study rests in the fact that gene expression in C. mediatlanticus will be investigated under growth conditions that reflect, in terms of concentrations of nutrients, those actually encountered by this organism in its natural environment. Such genome-enabled studies are critical to acquire fundamental information on gene expression in organisms that are ecologically relevant in their natural habitat, and to bridge the gap between laboratory-based investigations of pure cultures and environmental studies of natural microbial communities. The biotechnological uses of these organisms are likely to have significant impact across many fields. Broader impact. This project will offer training opportunities to one graduate student. Several undergraduate students as well as high school students are also involved in the project. A collaboration with the Mid-Atlantic Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE) will help to translate the research for K-12 and public audiences. Furthermore, the Deep-Sea Microbiology Lab website, featured by the National Science Digital Library Scout Report for the Life Sciences, will ensure the rapid and wide dissemination of the results from this research.