Cell-to-Cell Transfer of Bacterial Lipoproteins

智力优势粘细菌依靠细胞间的信号传递和滑行运动作为多细胞生物体生活，并在饥饿时建立子实体结构。 细胞-细胞信号如何组织这些发育过程仍然是一个基本的生物学问题。为了帮助理解这些过程，分离了黄色粘球菌滑动运动突变体。 突变体的一个特征是它们通过细胞外互补（刺激）从含有相应野生型基因的细胞中被拯救。 这些已知突变体中的两种编码脂蛋白，并且刺激机制涉及同源脂蛋白的有效细胞间转移。 转移不涉及细胞外分泌，而是需要供体和受体细胞之间的物理接触。 这些脂蛋白之一Tg 1是极性定位的，并且当转移到受体细胞时激活IV型皮利滑动运动马达的组装。 具体地，Tgl转移调节用于菌毛运输的外膜PilQ分泌素通道的组装。 一般来说，脂蛋白转移代表了一种新形式的细胞-细胞相互作用，其可以在协调细胞运动、形成生物膜和/或识别不同细胞类型中发挥作用。 本计画将利用分子遗传学及萤光视讯显微镜方法，了解细菌内脂蛋白转移的机制及更广泛的生物学意义。 更广泛的影响这个项目涉及教育和培训的本科生和研究生在EPSCoR国家。 这个项目的元素将被纳入本科微生物遗传讲座和实验室课程，说明目前的研究方法和方法的学生。 研究生将接受科学思维和分子遗传技术方面的培训。 一个外联部分涉及介绍和培训美洲土著人的微生物遗传学。 这项推广工作包括前往一所部落学院招募美洲土著学生在怀俄明州大学进行暑期研究实习。 学生在实验室的培训是一个互动的过程中，个人之间的各个层次。这项工作将产生高质量的研究论文，该项目支持的学生将出席国家科学会议。 整个社会都将受益于对青年科学家的培训。 此外，该项目将提供更广泛的了解细胞如何在生物膜或原始发育组织等社区中相互作用。

Intellectual MeritMyxobacteria rely on cell-cell signaling and gliding motility to live as multicellular organisms that build fruiting body structures in response to starvation. How cell-cell signaling organizes these developmental processes remains a fundamental biological question. To help understand these processes Myxococcus xanthus gliding motility mutants were isolated. A characteristic of the mutants is that they are rescued by extracellular complementation (stimulation) from cells that contain the corresponding wild type gene. Two of these known mutants encode lipoproteins and the mechanism for stimulation involves efficient cell-to-cell transfer of the cognate lipoprotein. Transfer does not involve extracellular secretion, but instead requires physical contact between donor and recipient cells. One of these lipoproteins, Tgl, is polarly localized and when transferred to a recipient cell activates the assembly of the type IV pili gliding motility motor. Specifically, Tgl transfer regulates the assembly of the outer membrane PilQ secretin channel for pilus transport. In general, lipoprotein transfer represents a novel form of cell-cell interactions that may play a role in coordinating cellular movements, forming biofilms and/or the recognition of different cell types. This project will use molecular genetic and fluorescent video microscopy methods to understand the mechanism and broader biological significance of lipoprotein transfer in bacteria. Broader ImpactsThis project involves the education and training of undergraduate and graduate students in an EPSCoR state. Elements of this project will be incorporated into undergraduate microbial genetic lecture and laboratory classes illustrating current research methods and approaches to students. Graduate students will be trained in scientific thinking and in molecular genetic techniques. An outreach component involves introducing and training Native Americans in microbial genetics. This outreach effort includes trips to a tribal college to recruit Native American students to conduct a summer research internship at the University of Wyoming. Student training in the lab is an interactive process between individuals at all levels. This work will generate high quality research papers and students supported by the project will present at national scientific meetings. Society at large will benefit from the training of young scientists. In addition, the project will provide a broader understanding of how cells interact in communities such as biofilms or in primitive developmental tissues.