Assembly of the Agrobacterium Virulence Specific Type IV Secretion System in the Context of Bacterial Cell Growth and Peptidoglycan Synthesis

细菌细胞生长和肽聚糖合成背景下农杆菌毒力特异性 IV 型分泌系统的组装

• 批准号: 1243360
• 负责人: Patricia Zambryski
• 金额: $ 165.08万
• 依托单位: University of California-Berkeley
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-12-01 至 2018-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1243360&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Assembly; Agrobacterium; Virulence; Specific; Type

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a bacterium that, in nature, causes crown gall disease (a tumor) in plants, which it accomplishes by transferring DNA into plant cells. The bacterial DNA (along with accessory proteins) is transported into plant cells by the Type 4 Secretion System (T4SS) of the bacterium. The ability to transfer bacterial DNA into plant cells has led to the modification of Agrobacterium and its use as the quintessential vector for transforming plants with DNA of interest. However, exactly how DNA and proteins are transported out of the bacterial cell and into the plant cell by the T4SS remains unknown, as does the manner in which the T4SS interacts with the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall during growth and division of the bacterial cell. This project will use techniques of microscopy, genetics, bioinformatics and biochemistry to investigate peptidoglycan synthesis and define how the T4SS in Agrobacterium interacts with peptidoglycan as it assembles.Broader Impacts. This project has the potential to stimulate the development of new antibacterial agents that target peptidoglycan synthesis. The PI will present a course to undergraduates on the biology of Agrobacterium and its use as a tool for basic and applied research, emphasizing how scientific discoveries are made. Social and policy implications of plant genetic engineering will be discussed and special attention will be paid to attracting to the course students representing a wide spectrum of ethnicities and underrepresented groups. The PI will give scientific presentations to the community at large (at public venues such as museums) and attended by parents and children in order to engage the public and especially children with exciting science.

农杆菌本质上是一种在植物中引起冠瘿病（一种肿瘤）的细菌，它通过将DNA转移到植物细胞中来实现。细菌的DNA（连同附属蛋白）通过细菌的4型分泌系统（T4SS）转运到植物细胞中。将细菌DNA转移到植物细胞中的能力导致了对农杆菌的修饰，并将其作为转化植物DNA的典型载体。然而，DNA和蛋白质究竟是如何通过T4SS从细菌细胞转运到植物细胞的，以及T4SS在细菌细胞生长和分裂过程中与细胞壁肽聚糖层相互作用的方式仍然未知。该项目将使用显微镜、遗传学、生物信息学和生物化学技术来研究肽聚糖的合成，并确定农杆菌中的T4SS在组装过程中如何与肽聚糖相互作用。更广泛的影响。这个项目有潜力刺激开发新的抗菌药物靶向肽聚糖的合成。项目将向本科生开设一门关于农杆菌生物学及其作为基础和应用研究工具的课程，强调如何作出科学发现。本课程将讨论植物基因工程的社会和政策影响，并特别注意吸引代表广泛种族和代表性不足群体的学生。PI将向整个社区（在博物馆等公共场所）进行科学报告，并由家长和儿童参加，以吸引公众，特别是儿童参与令人兴奋的科学。