RUI: Rhomboids from Streptomyces: The Unknown Key Player?

链霉菌是一种土壤细菌，它能产生天然产物，为细菌提供多种功能，并具有许多有趣和有用的特性，包括抗菌、抗肿瘤和抗寄生虫特性。链霉菌与环境之间的相互作用调节着这些天然产物的合成，但对这一过程仍有许多未知之处。该项目研究了菱形蛋白降解酶家族在链霉菌与环境交流中的作用，预计将揭示细菌如何相互“交谈”并感知不断变化的环境。学生从这个项目中获得的研究机会将被纳入所教授的课程中。学生(包括代表人数不足的群体的成员)将进行遗传、分子和微生物学研究，他们的工作将在国家、区域和国家会议上介绍；他们将有机会撰写关于其研究的出版物。此外，科学、技术和工程计划(STEP)将吸引对研究感兴趣的高中生，昆斯伯勒社区学院的本科生将帮助指导他们。该项目的目标是确定菱形在天蓝色链霉菌中的作用。通过生物信息学分析确定的可能的菱形基因将被敲除，并将比较野生型和基因敲除细菌株的发育周期和次生代谢物的产生。突变挽救研究将被用来表征来自不同链霉菌物种的菱形基因的功能，并研究它们在调节细胞信号中的作用，从而为细菌调节机制的分子进化提供见解。

Streptomyces are soil bacteria that produce natural products that serve many functions for the bacteria and also possess a number of interesting and useful properties that include anti-bacterial, anti-tumor and anti-parasitic properties. Interactions between Streptomyces and the environment regulate the synthesis of these natural products but much remains unknown about this process. This project addresses the role of rhomboids, a family of protein-degrading enzymes, in the communication of Streptomyces with the environment and is anticipated to shed light on how bacteria "talk" to each other and sense a changing environment. Student research opportunities from this project will be incorporated into the courses that are taught. Students (including members of underrepresented groups) will conduct genetic, molecular and microbiological research and their work will be presented at State, regional and national conferences; they will have opportunities to author publications on their research. In addition a Science, Technology and Engineering Program (STEP) program will engage high school students interested in research, and Queensborough Community College undergraduates will help to mentor them.The objective of this project is to determine the role of rhomboids in Streptomyces coelicolor. Putative rhomboid genes identified through bioinformatics analysis will be knocked-out and the developmental cycle and the production of secondary metabolites will be compared in wild-type and gene knock-out bacterial strains. Mutant rescue studies will be used to characterize the function of rhomboid genes from diverse Streptomyces species and to investigate their role in regulating cell signaling, thereby providing insights into the molecular evolution of regulatory mechanisms in bacteria.