Dissecting the molecular players essential for polar growth in Agrobacterium

这个项目有可能改变我们对细菌生长的理解。在细菌生长过程中，细胞壁通常被理解为通过分散产生新的壁材料而扩大。然而，现在已知一些重要的农业和病原细菌在生长过程中通过在细胞的末端（极点）添加新材料来扩展它们的细胞壁。本计画将阐明农杆菌极性生长的机制，以及极性生长与细胞分裂整合的方式。该项目将提供一个博士后研究员和研究生在植物科学的高级培训，PI将在博物馆和大学的CalDay公共开放日活动期间进行公共宣传。PI还将为非科学专业的本科生开设一门课程，即“植物的秘密生活”课程，强调社会，环境和经济方面。该项目将阐明细菌的极性生长机制，解决以下具体问题：1）定义构成土壤杆菌极性生长机制的蛋白质，使用全长和土壤杆菌特异性亚结构域FtsA，FtsZ，PopZ，PopJ，LDT-0845和TipN作为诱饵，在酵母双杂交筛选中鉴定新的相互作用伴侣。2)基因消耗的基本农杆菌细胞周期因子，以确定其主要表型，使用核糖开关技术，以急性消耗细胞的FtsA，FtsZ，PopZ，PodJ，LDT-0845，和TipN和使用延时荧光去卷积和高分辨率结构照明显微镜（SIM）。3)农杆菌TipN-At作为潜在的极性生长组织中心的作用。

This project has the potential to change our understanding of growth in bacteria. During bacterial growth the cell wall is typically understood to enlarge by the dispersed generation of new wall material. However, it is now known that some important agricultural and pathogenic bacteria expand their cell walls during growth by adding new material at the ends (poles) of the cells. This project will elucidate the mechanisms of polar growth in Agrobacterium and the manner in which polar growth is integrated with cell division. The project will provide a postdoctoral fellow and graduate student advanced training in plant science, and the PI will engage in public outreach with lectures at museums and during the University's CalDay public open house event. The PI will also teach a course a course on "The Secret Life of Plants" to non-science major undergraduates that emphasizes social, environmental and economic aspects. The project will elucidate the mechanisms of polar growth in bacteria, addressing the following specific issues: 1) Defining the proteins that comprise the Agrobacterium polar growth machinery, using full-length and Agrobacterium specific sub-domains of FtsA, FtsZ, PopZ, PopJ, LDT-0845, and TipN as bait in yeast two hybrid screens to identify novel interacting partners. 2) Genetic depletion of essential Agrobacterium cell cycle factors to determine their primary phenotypes, using riboswitch technology to acutely deplete cells of FtsA, FtsZ, PopZ, PodJ, LDT-0845, and TipN and using time-lapse fluorescence deconvolution and high resolution structured illumination microscopy (SIM). 3) The role of Agrobacterium TipN-At as a potential polar growth organizing center.