LIPID METABOLISM IN SYMBIOTIC COELENTRATES

拟议研究的广泛和长期目标是 表征、定量和确定酰基载体的重要性 共生甲藻产生脂类中的蛋白质 （虫黄藻）热带海洋腔肠动物。 拟议研究 将研究这些生物中最重要的生物化学相互作用之一， 共生：从光合作用固定的碳产生脂质， 虫黄嘌呤和腔肠动物宿主对这种脂质的利用。 共生腔肠动物是一种简单的生物， 研究基本生物医学过程的系统，如钙化和 组织相容性 共生腔肠动物也是理想的模型 脂质代谢研究系统。 本次研究将重点 酰基载体蛋白在脂质产生和输出中的作用 来自虫黄藻 研究的具体目标包括： A）测定游离和酰化酰基载体蛋白的水平 并检验脂质合成率与 与动物黄嘌呤中酸性磷酸酶的水平有关 B）确定虫黄藻是否具有 ACP的单一同种型，如所有其他已知的单细胞生物体和试验 共生时虫黄藻具有多个ACP假说 同种型。 C）确定腔肠动物宿主是否可以控制脂质 它的共生藻类的代谢和测试的假设， 环境压力和生殖状况改变了 虫黄藻和虫黄藻衍生脂质的代谢命运。 这 研究将增加我们对脂质代谢和 以及单细胞和多细胞中的代谢交换 有机体

The broad, long-term objectives of the proposed research are to characterize, quantify and determine the significance of acyl-carrier proteins in the production of lipids by the symbiotic dinoflagellate algae (zooxanthellae) of tropical marine coelenterates. The proposed research will examine one of the most important biochemical interactions in these symbioses: the production of lipid from carbon photosynthetically fixed by zooxanthellae and the utilization of this lipid by the coelenterate host. Symbiotic coelenterates are simple organisms that have been used as model systems to study basic biomedical processes, such as calcification and histocompatibility. Symbiotic coelenterates are also and ideal model system for the study of lipid metabolism. The proposed research will focus on the role of acyl-carrier proteins in the production and export of lipid from zooxanthellae. Specific aims of the research include the following: A) Determination of the levels of free and acylated acyl-carrier proteins and testing the hypothesis that rates of lipid synthesis will correlate with level of ACP in the zooxanthellae. B) Determine if zooxanthellae have single isoforms of ACP like all other known unicellular organisms and test the hypothesis that when in symbiosis zooxanthellae have multiple ACP isoforms. C) Determine if the coelenterate host can control the lipid metabolism of its symbiotic algae and teat the hypotheses that environmental stress and reproductive status alter levels of ACP in zooxanthellae and the metabolic fate of zooxanthellae-derived lipids. This research will increase our general understanding of both lipid metabolism and metabolic interchange in unicellular as well as multicellular organisms.