POPULATION GENETICS AND GENOME EVOLUTION OF VIRUSES IN AN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT

水生环境中病毒的群体遗传学和基因组进化

• 批准号: 8360081
• 负责人: MARCIA MARSTON
• 金额: $ 5.95万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-05-01 至 2012-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8360081
• 关键词: Address; Alleles; Bacteria; Bacteriophages; Behavioral Research; Bioinformatics; Biomedical Research; Cholera Toxin; Communication; Communities; Environment; Escherichia coli; Event; Evolution; Frequencies; Funding; Gene Exchanges; Genes; Genetic; Genetic Materials; Genetic Techniques; Genetic Variation; Genome; Genomics; Grant; Horizontal Gene Transfer; Individual; Laboratories; Molecular Genetics; National Center for Research Resources; Population; Population Genetics; Principal Investigator; Public Health; Research; Research Infrastructure; Research Project Grants; Resources; Shiga Toxin; Source; Students; Techniques; Testing; Training; United States National Institutes of Health; Vibrio cholerae; Virulence; Virulence Factors; Virus; cost; experience; instrumentation; pathogen

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Bacteriophages are important conduits for horizontal gene exchange among bacteria and are directly responsible for the virulence of many bacterial pathogens. Phage-encoded virulence factors include the shiga toxins in pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli and the cholera toxin in Vibrio cholerae. Bacteriophages can drive the emergence of new pathogenic bacterial strains through the horizontal transfer of virulence factors and thus an understanding of phage genome evolution has important public health implications. This research project will examine the population genetics and genome evolution of bacteriophages. We will test the hypothesis that much of the genetic diversity within bacteriophage populations and communities can be attributed to recent horizontal genetic exchange events among phages and between phages and bacteria. A natural community of aquatic bacteriophages will be used to address questions about phage genome evolution and the frequency of horizontal gene transfer within populations and communities of aquatic bacteriophages. The specific aims of this research are to: (1) Assess the frequency of horizontal gene transfer events and its influences on bacteriophage genome organization and evolution, (2) Examine the population genetics/genomics of specific bacteriophages to determine the extent to which bacteriophages in the same population carry different alleles of laterally transferred host-derived genes, (3) Analyze the composition and distribution of non-viral, non-host genetic material carried in bacteriophage genomes, and (4) Train undergraduate students in the key molecular genetic techniques used in biomedical research. Students will gain experience in scientific communication, laboratory techniques, use of instrumentation, and bioinformatics as they complete individual projects.

这个子项目是许多利用资源的研究子项目之一 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目的主要支持 而子项目的主要调查员可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括其它NIH来源。 列出的子项目总成本可能 代表子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， 而不是由NCRR赠款提供给子项目或子项目工作人员的直接资金。 噬菌体是细菌间水平基因交换的重要通道，直接决定了许多细菌病原体的毒力。噬菌体编码的毒力因子包括大肠杆菌致病菌株中的滋贺毒素和霍乱弧菌中的霍乱毒素。噬菌体可以通过毒力因子的水平转移来驱动新的致病性细菌菌株的出现，因此对噬菌体基因组进化的理解具有重要的公共卫生意义。这个研究项目将研究噬菌体的群体遗传学和基因组进化。我们将测试的假设，大部分的噬菌体种群和社区内的遗传多样性可以归因于最近的水平遗传交换事件之间的细菌和细菌和细菌。水生噬菌体的自然群落将用于解决有关噬菌体基因组进化和水生噬菌体种群和群落内水平基因转移频率的问题。这项研究的具体目标是：（1）评估水平基因转移事件的频率及其对噬菌体基因组组织和进化的影响，（2）检查特定噬菌体的群体遗传学/基因组学，以确定同一群体中的噬菌体携带横向转移的宿主衍生基因的不同等位基因的程度，（3）分析非病毒的组成和分布，噬菌体基因组中携带的非宿主遗传物质，以及（4）培养本科生在生物医学研究中使用的关键分子遗传技术。学生将获得科学交流，实验室技术，仪器的使用和生物信息学的经验，因为他们完成个人项目。