Genetic Studies of Cytophaga Johnsonae Gliding Motility

9418308 McBridge滑动运动性是许多不相关细菌的共同特征，但滑动运动性的机制尚不清楚。 大多数关于细菌滑动运动的分子研究都集中在黄色粘球菌上，因为这是唯一具有发达遗传系统的滑动细菌。Cytophagajohnsonae与M. xanthus，与M. xanthus作为滑行运动的模型。C. johnsonae的生长速度比M快2-3倍，滑行速度比M快5 - 50倍。xanthus 直到最近，还没有可用的遗传工具来研究C。约翰逊。新开发的遗传工具正在被用来分析C。约翰逊氏滑行运动 将优化基因转移和转座子诱变技术。 与C. johnsonae将在E.大肠杆菌中表达并测序。 DNA序列将被分析，以确定运动机制和信号转导系统的性质，控制这种机制在响应环境刺激。 假定的基因将发生突变并重新引入C。以确定对运动性或行为的影响。 除了扩大我们对滑行运动的了解，这是一种常见但知之甚少的细菌运动方式，这些研究可能具有更大的实用价值，因为噬细胞在生物降解中起着重要作用。 ***

9418308 McBridge Gliding motility is a trait common to many unrelated bacteria, yet the mechanism(s) of gliding motility is(are) unknown. The majority of molecular studies on bacterial gliding motility have focussed on Myxococcus xanthus since this is the only gliding bacterium with a well developed genetic system. Cytophaga johnsonae is not closely related to M. xanthus and has several advantages over M. xanthus as a model for gliding motility. C. johnsonae grows 2-3 times faster and glides 5 to 50 times faster than M. xanthus. Until recently no genetic tools were available for C. johnsonae. Newly developed genetic tools are being used to analyze C. johnsonae gliding motility. Techniques for gene transfer and transposon mutagenesis will be optimized. Genes involved in the motility and tactic responses of C. johnsonae will be cloned in E. coli and sequenced. DNA sequences will be analyzed to determine the nature of the motility machinery and of the signal transduction system that controls this machinery in response to environmental stimuli. Putative genes will be mutated and reintroduced into C. johnsonae to determine the effect on motility or behavior. %%% In addition to expanding our knowledge of gliding motility, a common but little understood means of bacterial locomotion, these studies could have more practical value since cytophagas play important roles in biodegradation. ***