RUI: Rhomboids from Streptomyces: The Unknown Key Player?

链霉菌是土壤细菌，其产生为细菌提供许多功能的天然产物，并且还具有许多有趣和有用的特性，包括抗菌，抗肿瘤和抗寄生虫特性。链霉菌和环境之间的相互作用调节这些天然产物的合成，但对这一过程仍知之甚少。该项目解决了菱形蛋白质降解酶家族在链霉菌与环境沟通中的作用，预计将揭示细菌如何相互“交谈”并感知不断变化的环境。学生从这个项目的研究机会将被纳入所教授的课程。学生（包括代表性不足的群体的成员）将进行遗传，分子和微生物研究，他们的工作将在国家，区域和国家会议上提出;他们将有机会就他们的研究撰写出版物。此外，科学，技术和工程计划（STEP）计划将吸引对研究感兴趣的高中生，皇后区社区学院的本科生将帮助指导他们。该项目的目标是确定菱形在天蓝色链霉菌中的作用。将敲除通过生物信息学分析鉴定的假定菱形基因，并将野生型和基因敲除细菌菌株中的发育周期和次级代谢产物的产生进行比较。突变体拯救研究将用于表征不同链霉菌属物种的菱形基因的功能，并研究它们在调节细胞信号传导中的作用，从而为细菌中调节机制的分子进化提供见解。

Streptomyces are soil bacteria that produce natural products that serve many functions for the bacteria and also possess a number of interesting and useful properties that include anti-bacterial, anti-tumor and anti-parasitic properties. Interactions between Streptomyces and the environment regulate the synthesis of these natural products but much remains unknown about this process. This project addresses the role of rhomboids, a family of protein-degrading enzymes, in the communication of Streptomyces with the environment and is anticipated to shed light on how bacteria "talk" to each other and sense a changing environment. Student research opportunities from this project will be incorporated into the courses that are taught. Students (including members of underrepresented groups) will conduct genetic, molecular and microbiological research and their work will be presented at State, regional and national conferences; they will have opportunities to author publications on their research. In addition a Science, Technology and Engineering Program (STEP) program will engage high school students interested in research, and Queensborough Community College undergraduates will help to mentor them.The objective of this project is to determine the role of rhomboids in Streptomyces coelicolor. Putative rhomboid genes identified through bioinformatics analysis will be knocked-out and the developmental cycle and the production of secondary metabolites will be compared in wild-type and gene knock-out bacterial strains. Mutant rescue studies will be used to characterize the function of rhomboid genes from diverse Streptomyces species and to investigate their role in regulating cell signaling, thereby providing insights into the molecular evolution of regulatory mechanisms in bacteria.