Investigating bacteroidetes gliding motility

众所周知，细菌利用菌毛或菌毛作为发动机来探索其环境。另一种比较奇特但研究较少的运动形式是滑翔运动。拟杆菌门分支中有一种由分泌系统提供动力的滑行运动。滑翔运动的机制仍然是未知的，但它似乎像坦克一样在表面上爬行，沿着杆状细胞体的螺旋路径推动黏着素，并相对于这些黏着素移动。在这个研究项目中，我将研究粘附素分泌到细胞表面并被推进到细胞表面的机制。这是一个基础科学研究项目，是BBSRC研究重点“动物健康”和“对抗抗菌素耐药性”的基础。

Bacteria is known to explore its milieu using pili or agella as motors. A somewhat more exotic and less studied form of movement is gliding motility. In the Bacteroidetes clade is a type of gliding motility that is powered by a secretion system. The mechanics of gliding motility are still mainly unknown, but it seems to crawl over surfaces much like a tank does, propelling adhesins in a helical path along the rod-shaped cell body and moves relative to those adhesins. In this research project, I will investigate the mechanisms by which the adhesins are secreted to, and propelled around, the cell surface. This is a basic science research project, underpinning the BBSRC research priorities "Animal health" and "Combating antimicrobial resistance".