Investigations of the link between the bacterial cytoskeleton and N-cycling in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis

固氮是将大气中的氮素转化为氨，是生物地球化学氮素循环的一部分。根瘤菌是在土壤中发现的，可以与豆科植物的根形成共生关系，在那里细菌固定氮并为豆类提供直接的氨来源。根瘤菌与豆科植物的共生对农业实践有重大影响，极大地减少了使用氮肥产生的污染。虽然对细菌生长的研究已有多年，但对根瘤菌进入豌豆同源植物过程中的生长机制知之甚少。我们将研究鲜为人知的极地生长机制及其与根瘤菌之间的N循环的联系，并通过分析来自英国几个地点的农田土壤样本来监测极地蛋白质组合的多样性。将与PGRO(加工者和种植者研究组织)合作，收集和分析细菌样本。微生物分子生物学技术，包括基因敲除突变的产生和荧光蛋白融合，将被用于研究极性蛋白组装。最后，将测试突变体与豌豆建立成功共生关系的能力。

Nitrogen fixation is the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia and is a part of biogeochemical nitrogen cycling. Rhizobium bacteria are found in soil and can form a symbiosis with the roots of legume plants, where the bacteria fix nitrogen and provide a direct source of ammonia to the legume. The Rhizobium-legume symbiosis has significant impact on agricultural practices greatly reducing pollution generated by the use of nitrogen fertilisers. Although bacterial growth has been studied for many years, very little is known about the mechanism of growth during the entry of Rhizobium bacteria into their cognate pea-plant. We will study the poorly understood mechanism of polar growth and its link to N-cycling amongst Rhizobiales and monitor the diversity of polar protein assemblies by analysing soil samples from crop-fields at several UK locations. In collaboration with PGRO (Processors and Growers Research Organisation) the bacterial samples will be collected and analysed. Microbial molecular biology technologies including the generation of knockout mutations and fluorescent protein fusions will be used to study the polar protein assemblies. Finally, mutants will be tested for their ability to establish successful symbiosis with pea plants.