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

根癌农杆菌是一种在自然界中引起植物冠瘤(一种肿瘤)的细菌，它通过将DNA转移到植物细胞中来实现这一目标。细菌的4型分泌系统(T4SS)将细菌的DNA(连同辅助蛋白)运输到植物细胞中。将细菌DNA转移到植物细胞的能力导致了农杆菌的改良，并将其用作转化目的DNA植物的典型载体。然而，T4SS到底是如何将DNA和蛋白质从细菌细胞运输到植物细胞的，以及T4SS在细菌细胞生长和分裂过程中与细胞壁的肽聚糖相互作用的方式，仍然是未知的。这个项目将使用显微镜、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在组装时如何与肽聚糖相互作用。该项目有可能刺激针对肽聚糖合成的新抗菌剂的开发。PI将向本科生提供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，强调科学发现是如何取得的。将讨论植物基因工程的社会和政策影响，并将特别注意吸引代表广泛种族和代表性不足的群体的学生。国际科学协会将(在博物馆等公共场所)向广大社区发表科学报告，并由家长和儿童参加，以便让公众，特别是儿童接触到令人兴奋的科学。

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.