Regulation of osmoadaptation and Na+ homeostasis in Methanosarcina mazei Gö1

甲基营养产甲烷菌的第一个基因组序列最近被测定，它是一种耐盐性、代谢多功能性和基因接近的产甲烷菌。这为在全球范围内研究产甲烷菌的监管网络提供了一种全新的战略。随着外盐浓度的增加，耐盐产甲烷古生菌积累相容溶质，并从细胞质中排除Na+。与大多数其他生物不同，产甲烷菌需要一定的细胞内Na+浓度才能进行代谢活动。到目前为止，对渗透适应和Na+稳态的生理学、它们的调节、它们与底物利用相关的调节网络的串扰和串扰知之甚少。阐明这些监管网络是这个项目的最终目标。首先，我们将集中于通过生化和分子技术阐明渗透反应和Na+稳态的生理和调控，并通过蛋白质组分析识别参与网络的成员。

The first genomic sequence of a methylotrophic methanogen, Methanosarcina mazei Gö1, a halotolerant, metabolically versatile and genetically approachable methanogen, has been determined very recently. This offers a completely new strategy to study regulatory networks in methanogens on a global scale. Halotolerant methanogenic archaea accumulate compatible solutes and exclude Na+ from the cytoplasm upon increase of the external salt concentration. Unlike most other organisms, methanogens require a certain intracellular Na+ concentration for metabolic activity. To date, relatively little is known about the physiology of osmoadaptation and Na+ homeostasis, their regulation, their cross talk and cross talks with the regulatory networks involved in substrate utilization. The elucidation of these regulatory networks is the final goal of this project. At first we will concentrate on the elucidation of the physiology and regulation of the osmoresponse and Na+ homeostasis by biochemical and molecular techniques and the identification of the players involved in the networks by proteome analyses.