C-RUI: Proteomic Profiling of Dimorphism in Penicillium Marneffei

马尔尼菲青霉是一种能够以多细胞长丝（霉菌）或单细胞实体（酵母）的形式生长的真菌。孵育的温度决定了马尔尼菲拟虫形成的特殊形状。在25摄氏度（室温）下，真菌的霉菌阶段产生，而在37摄氏度（体温）的孵育下，马氏假单胞菌以酵母的形式生长。我们假设有特定的蛋白质负责引起或维持两种细胞类型中的任何一种的生长。为了验证我们的假设，我们将对马尼菲假单胞菌在霉菌和酵母阶段产生的所有蛋白质进行分析，然后确定哪些蛋白质是唯一存在的，哪些是唯一不存在的。为了制作轮廓，我们将采用二维凝胶电泳技术，根据大小和电荷分离蛋白质。独特的蛋白质将被分离出来，随后进行质谱分析，这种技术可以帮助确定蛋白质的潜在身份和功能。通过发现这些独特蛋白的作用，可能会发现对马氏假蝇细胞发育重要的关键代谢途径。总的来说，这种科学的方法应该提供的数据，导致更好地了解潜在的基础控制生长不仅在P. marneffi和相关真菌，但可能在其他微生物。

Penicillium marneffei is a fungus capable of growth either as a multicellular filament (mould) or as a single-celled entity (yeast). The temperature of incubation dictates the particular shape that P. marneffei forms. At 25C (room temperature), the mould phase of the fungus is produced, whereas incubation at 37 (body temperature) causes P. marneffei to grow as a yeast. We hypothesize that there are specific proteins responsible for causing or maintaining growth in either of the two cell types. To test our hypothesis, we will develop a profile of all the proteins produced by the mould and yeast phases of P. marneffei, then determine which proteins are uniquely present or absent. To make the profile, we will employ the technique of two dimensional gel electrophoresis to separate proteins based upon size and electrical charge. Unique proteins will be isolated and subsequently subjected to mass spectrometry, a technique that can help determine the potential identity and function of a protein. By discovering the purpose of these unique proteins, key metabolic pathways important to cellular development in P. marneffei may be detected. Overall, this scientific approach should provide data leading to a better understanding of the underlying basis controlling growth not only in P. marneffei and related fungi, but perhaps in other microbes as well.