REGULATION OF OMPF EXPRESSION IN E COLI

来自多种生物系统的研究结果表明，转录调控在许多与生长发育有关的基因的表达中发挥着关键作用。大量的正负转录因子参与控制这些过程，这些因子的相互作用对遗传信息的正确表达至关重要。在过去的几年里，许多研究结果表明，DNA结合蛋白在调节蛋白之间的正确相互作用中起着中心作用。我感兴趣的是研究大肠杆菌中一种蛋白质-整合宿主因子(IHF)的性质和功能，作为研究所有系统中基因表达调控中蛋白质之间相互作用的模型蛋白质。研究将集中于确定IHF在OmpF表达中的作用，OmpF是合成主要外膜蛋白OmpF所需的操纵子。生物化学和遗传学实验将用于解决以下问题：IHF在这个操纵子的渗透调节中起主要作用吗？2.IHF是否通过影响OmpR(介导OmpF渗透调节的转录因子)来影响渗透调节？3.IHF对DNA结构的改变对其在OmpF表达中的作用至关重要吗？

Findings from a wide variety of biological systems indicate that transcriptional regulation plays a key role in the expression of numerous genes involved in growth and development. A large number of positive and negative transcription factors are involved in controlling these processes and the interplay of these factors is critical for the proper expression of genetic information. In the past few years, results from a number of studies revealed that DNA binding proteins are centrally involved in mediating correct interactions among regulatory proteins. I am interested in investigating the proper6ties and function of a protein in Escherichia coli, integration host factor (IHF), as a model protein for studying interactions among proteins in the regulation of gene expression in all systems. Studies will focus on characterizing the role of IHF in the expression of ompF an operon required for the synthesis of a major outer membrane protein ompF. Biochemical and genetic experiments will be used to address the following questions: . Does IHF play a major role in the osmoregulation of this operon? 2. Does IHF effect osmoregulation through effects on OmpR, the transcription factor that mediates osmoregulation of ompF? 3. Is alteration in DNA structure by IHF critical for its role in ompF expression?