Genetic and Biochemical Studies of Swimming Motility in a Marine Synechococcus

9727759布拉罕沙某些聚球藻属的海洋单细胞蓝藻表现出一种神秘的游泳运动类型，其特征是没有鞭毛和任何明显的运动细胞器。在之前的工作中，布拉汉沙博士已经获得了游泳运动受损的突变体，并发现了一种丰富的游泳所需的细胞表面多肽SWMA。这个项目的目标有两个：1)鉴定现有的运动性突变体并分离出新的突变体；2)开始研究SWMA的功能。这将通过结合遗传和生化方法来实现。对SWMA功能的研究将包括确定它与之相互作用的多肽的交联性研究。突变体的特征将包括分离负责的基因，确定它们的核苷酸序列，并将它们的产物定位在聚球藻细胞中。这些研究不仅应该为这种独特类型的原核生物运动的机制提供洞察力，而且还应该为生物体如何将化学能转化为运动的基本问题提供见解。

9727759 Brahamsha Certain marine unicellular cyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus exhibit a mysterious type of swimming motility characterized by the absence of flagella and of any obvious organelle of motility. In previous work, Dr. Brahamsha has obtained mutants impaired in swimming motility and has identified an abundant cell-surface polypeptide, SwmA, that is required for swimming. The objectives of this project are two-fold: 1) to characterize existing motility mutants and isolate new ones and 2) to begin studies of SwmA's function. This will be accomplished by combining genetic and biochemical approaches. Studies of SwmA function will include cross-linking studies to determine the polypeptides it interacts with. Characterization of the mutants will include isolating the genes responsible, determining their nucleotide sequences, and localizing their products in Synechococcus cells. These studies should provide insights not only into the mechanism of this unique type of prokaryotic motility but also into the fundamental question of how organisms convert chemical energy into motion.