CELL-CELL SIGNALING AND COMPETENCE IN BACILLUS SUBTILIS

细胞间信号传导控制着生物学中的许多过程， 世界，包括发展，发病机制，生长，交配， 转型信号传导过程通常由以下因素介导： (e.g.激素、信息素、神经递质）， 一些细胞被其他细胞感知为了了解监管 涉及细胞间信号传导的过程，识别 信号分子，决定它们是如何产生的， 感知，并确定信号是如何转导的， 监管回应。 这个项目的长期目标是了解细胞-细胞 信号传导控制芽孢杆菌中的基因表达和分化 枯草杆菌。B。枯草杆菌产生胞外信号分子 其至少部分是在培养物中积累的寡肽 当细胞生长到高密度时，这些细胞外信号 肽刺激发育所需基因的表达 基因能力。B中的遗传能力。subtilis是 被外源DNA转化的天然能力， 基因交换的有效途径。我们的目标是净化和 从生物化学上表征诱导 感受态基因表达和感受态，以表征如何 产生这些细胞外信号分子， 表征细胞感知和响应的机制 这些肽因子，并确定信号因子是否 参与能力也影响孢子形成。 这些目标包括描述幽灵的角色 (opp)操纵子在细胞对肽信号传导因子的反应中。 spoOK的突变导致能力（和孢子形成）缺陷 阻止细胞对肽信号的反应 刺激感受态基因表达的分子。假脱机编码 一种寡肽通透酶，其是以下大家族的成员： ATP依赖性转运蛋白。这个运输系统家族 包括MDR，涉及多药耐药，CFTR，囊性 纤维化跨膜调节因子和溶血素所需的Hly 输出某些致病菌。也包括在这个家庭的 转运蛋白是来自细菌的多种渗透酶， 吸收许多化合物，包括组氨酸，麦芽糖，磷酸盐， 二肽、维生素B 12和铁。其中一个重要目的是 建议是确定如何编码的寡肽渗透酶 吓到B了枯草芽孢杆菌参与控制 能力基因我们对分化的研究， 简单、实验上可获得的微生物 细胞间信号传导的一般机制， 转导和调节基因表达， 分化

Cell-cell signaling controls many processes in the biological world, including development, pathogenesis, growth, mating, and transformation. Signaling processes are often mediated by factors (e.g. hormones, pheromones, neurotransmitters) that are produced by some cells and sensed by others. In order to understand regulatory process involving cell-cell signaling, it is essential to identify the signaling molecules, determine how they are produced and sensed, and determine how the signals are transduced to elicit a regulatory response. The long term goal of this project is to understand how cell-cell signaling controls gene expression and differentiation in Bacillus subtilis. B. subtilis produces extracellular signaling molecules that are at least in part oligopeptides that accumulate in culture medium as cells grow to high density. These extracellular signaling peptides stimulate expression of genes needed for the development of genetic competence. Genetic competence in B. subtilis is the natural ability to be transformed by exogenous DNA and is an efficient means of genetic exchange. Our aims are to purify and biochemically characterize the signaling molecules that induce competence gene expression and competence, to characterize how these extracellular signaling molecules are produced, to characterize the mechanisms by which cells sense and respond to these peptide factors, and to determine if the signaling factors involved in competence also affect sporulation. Included in these aims is to characterize the role of the spoOK (opp) operon in the cellular response to peptide signaling factors. Mutations in spoOK cause a defect in competence (and sporulation) and prevent cells from responding to the peptide signaling molecules that stimulate competence gene expression. spoOK encodes an oligopeptide permease that is a member of the large family of ATP-dependent transporters. This family of transport systems includes MDR, involved in multi-drug resistance, CFTR, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator, and Hly, required for hemolysin export in some pathogenic bacteria. Also included in this family of transporters are a variety of permeases from bacteria that mediate uptake of many compounds, including histidine, maltose, phosphate, dipeptides, vitamin B 12, and iron. An important aim of this proposal is to determine how the oligopeptide Permease encoded by spoOK of B. subtilis is involved in controlling expression of competence genes. Our studies on differentiation in this relatively simple, experimentally accessible microbe should provide insights into general mechanisms of cell-cell signaling, signal transduction, and regulation of gene expression and differentiation.