Coordinating Developmental Gene Expression in Myxococcus xanthus

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Katharine E. LewisCoordinating Developmental Gene Expression in Myxococcus xanthus (IOS-1354779)Bacterial development yields a remarkable array of complex multicellular forms. Arguably, one of the most interesting and important forms of bacterial multicellularity is the biofilm. Mature biofilms are complex and often contain structural features such as towers of cells. In this mature state, biofilms are highly resistant to toxic chemicals such as those found in household cleaners, to chlorine, which is often used to treat water, and to many of the antibiotics commonly used to treat human infections. A fundamental goal in microbiology is to identify the genetic elements that control the formation of stress-resistant bacterial biofilms. This project focuses on a regulatory protein that is crucial for biofilm formation in the bacterium Mxyococcus xanthus. When starving, M. xanthus forms a biofilm containing a thin mat of cells and multicellular structures containing a highly resistant cell type. The enhancer binding protein (EBP) ActB, which is a transcriptional activator, is required for the formation of a mature M. xanthus biofilm and for production of highly resistant cells. The primary goal of this project is to understand how ActB regulates the formation of a mature biofilm by identifying and characterizing its target genes. In particular, this project will identify biofilm genes that are directly regulated by ActB, elucidate how ActB regulates these genes, and determine whether the target genes are important for the formation of a mature biofilm. The project will support training of graduate, undergraduate, and high school students including members of groups that are under-represented in sciences and students from a predominately undergraduate college, and will be the basis of outreach to local high schools.