Understanding how bacteria sense and adapt to their environment

为了生存，细菌必须能够感知和适应（变化的）环境。这包括试图在人类宿主中建立感染的病原体。Rrf2调节家族在细菌中广泛存在，并控制一些最重要的细胞途径，包括铁代谢，铁硫生物生成以及对氧化和亚硝化应激的反应。许多Rrf2家族调节因子结合铁硫簇，这是调节因子的关键传感模块。事实证明，尽管Rrf2蛋白彼此非常相似，但它们结合的簇的类型和结合的方式却因家族蛋白而异。这个项目的重点是确定集群类型和协调，并了解控制这些特征的重要因素。改变簇配位残对簇类型和功能的影响也将被研究。在项目期间，将提供广泛的技术培训，包括蛋白质纯化，厌氧蛋白质处理，铁硫簇化学，蛋白质- dna相互作用，光谱学，质谱学和x射线晶体学。

In order to survive, bacteria must be able to sense and adapt to their (changing) environment. This includes pathogens trying to establish infection in a human host. The Rrf2 family of regulators is widespread amongst bacteria and controls some of the most important cellular pathways, including iron metabolism, iron-sulfur biogenesis and responses to oxidative and nitrosative stresses. Many Rrf2 family regulators bind an iron-sulfur cluster, and this is the key sensory module of the regulator. It turns out that, although Rrf2 proteins are very similar to one another, the type of cluster they bind, and the way that they do it, varies from one family protein to another. This project is focused on determining cluster type and coordination and understanding the important factors that control these characteristics. The consequences of altering cluster coordinating residues on cluster type and functionality will also be investigated. Training will be provided in a wide range of techniques during the project, including protein purification, anaerobic protein handling, iron-sulfur cluster chemistry, protein-DNA interactions, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography.