Mechanisms of Gonococcal Pilin Antigenic and Phase Variation

功绩延展期摘要(2016年6月) 致病奈瑟氏菌是依赖于几种抗原的人类专性病原体 不断在人类种群中定居并导致疾病的变异系统。 这项提议将继续我们对用于促进 淋病奈瑟菌菌毛蛋白抗原变异的研究桩基的高频变化 氨基酸序列由18个氨基酸中的一个之间的基因转换反应所介导 沉默的Pilin拷贝和单个表达的Pilin基因。在下一个资助期，我们将 继续进行我们领域领先的分子机制研究 需要在细菌环境中实现高频基因转换 染色体。这些创新性研究的结果将对研究产生重大影响 NeisSeries致病机制、抗原变异机制、DNA重组和 复制，以及替代的DNA结构在所有细胞的分子过程中的作用。

Abstract for the MERIT Extension Period (June 2016) The pathogenic Neisseria are obligate human pathogens that rely on several antigenic variation systems to continually colonize and cause disease in the human population. This proposal will continue our studies into the molecular mechanisms used to promote pilin antigenic variation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. High frequency changes in the pilin amino acid sequence are mediated by gene conversion reactions between one of 18 silent pilin copies and the single expressed pilin gene. In the next funding period we will continue to conduct our field-leading investigations into the molecular mechanisms require to effect high frequency gene conversion within the context of a bacterial chromosome. The results of these innovative studies will have great impact on the study of Neisserial pathogenesis, mechanisms of antigenic variation, DNA recombination and replication, and the role of alternative DNA structures on molecular processes in all cells.