PodJ processing and polar development in Caulobacter crescentus

描述(申请人提供)：这项研究的长期目标是确定细菌细胞如何建立细胞内的极性，将特定的过程引导到两极，并控制极性过程的活动。许多细菌以细胞器和/或突起为目标，特别针对细胞极点。特别是，已有研究表明，许多病原体将毒力因子极化定位，表明极性定位在疾病中有一定的意义。极地定位的基本机制尚不清楚。在这项工作中，发展的新月桂枝杆菌作为一个模式系统的极性。这种生物的极地发育与PodJ蛋白的亚细胞定位和蛋白降解过程有关，而发育受阻的新月浑藻细胞没有PodJ加工，这表明PodJ的稳定性与极地发育过程有关。在其他生物体中也发现了类似于PodJ的其他蛋白质，包括显示细胞极性的病原体。通过了解PodJ在控制极性过程中的作用，有可能将这一知识外推到其他细菌系统。这项工作的具体目的是：1.在PodJ中产生突变，导致蛋白质稳定性增加，并确定PodJ介导的极性过程稳定性增加的影响，以及2.确定假定的PodJ肽聚糖结合域在维持PodJ稳定中的作用。将使用预测影响PodJ稳定性的序列的定点突变和使用强大的分析来识别PodJ稳定性突变的无偏见遗传筛选的组合。突变表型的分析将涉及细胞生物学技术、生物化学技术和细菌生理分析。几种植物和动物病原体显示了毒力因子的细胞极性和极性定位，但细菌极性的基本机制尚不清楚。了解建立和控制细菌极性的基本方法将有助于更容易地获得病原体采用的特定策略，并加强新的策略来对抗它们的毒力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of this research is to determine how bacterial cells establish intracellular polarity, direct specific processes to the poles, and control the activity of polar processes. Many bacteria target organelles and/or processes specifically to the cell poles. Particularly, it has been shown that many pathogens polarly localize virulence factors, indicating that polar localization has implications in disease. The basic mechanisms for polar localization are unknown. In this work, development of Caulobacter crescentus is used as a model system for polarity. Polar development in this organism has been correlated with the subcellular localization and proteolytic processing of the protein PodJ, and C. crescentus cells that are inhibited in development show no PodJ processing, indicating that the stability of PodJ is tied to polar developmental processes. Other proteins similar to PodJ have been found in other organisms, including pathogens that demonstrate cellular polarity. By understanding the role of PodJ in controlling polar processes, it may be possible to extrapolate this knowledge to other bacterial systems. The specific aims of this work are: 1. generate mutations in PodJ that lead to increased protein stability and determine the affect of increased stability of PodJ-mediated polar processes, and 2. determine the role of the putative PodJ peptidoglycan binding domain in maintaining PodJ stability. A combination of site-directed mutagenesis of sequences predicted to impact PodJ stability, and unbiased genetic screens using powerful assays to identify PodJ stability mutants will be utilized. Analysis of mutant phenotypes will involve cell biology techniques, biochemistry techniques, and bacterial physiology assays. Several plant and animal pathogens demonstrate cellular polarity and polar localization of virulence factors, yet the basic mechanisms of bacterial polarity are unknown. Understanding the underlying methods of establishing and controlling bacterial polarity will facilitate easier access to specific strategies employed by pathogens, and enhance new strategies to combat their virulence.