Analysis of proteins regulating polar flagellum localisation and number in Vibrio cholerae

霍乱弧菌引起世界范围的流行病和严重腹泻病霍乱的大流行。霍乱弧菌通过旋转一个长长的螺旋状螺旋桨（称为鞭毛）在液体中游动，这是细菌在人类宿主体内定植并引起疾病的一个重要因素。鞭毛位于细胞的一端或极点，这是输出主要毒力因子霍乱毒素的机制。为了确保每个霍乱弧菌细胞在一个极点上有一个鞭毛，细胞必须仔细调节这个结构的形成时间和地点。我的目标是建立一个项目，将解决两个问题：鞭毛是如何专门针对一个细胞极点的？每个细胞的鞭毛数量是如何调节的？我将在初步工作的基础上确定FlhF和FlhG两种蛋白的功能，它们分别将鞭毛定位到细胞中的正确位置并调节鞭毛数量。通过我们的研究，我们将建立一个连接鞭毛生物发生，细胞不对称（或极性）和细胞分裂的分子网络的图片。

The bacterium Vibrio cholerae causes worldwide epidemics and pandemics of the severe diarrhoeal disease cholera. V. cholerae swims through liquids by rotating a long corkscrew-like propeller, called a flagellum, which is an important factor in the ability of the bacterium to colonise the human host and cause disease. The flagellum is positioned at one end, or pole, of the cell, as is the machinery that exports the major virulence factor cholera toxin. To ensure that each V. cholerae cell has a single flagellum at one pole, the cell must carefully regulate when and where this structure is built. I aim to establish a project that will address two questions: How is the flagellum specifically targeted to one cell pole? How is the number of flagella per cell regulated? I will build on preliminary work to determine the functions of two proteins, FlhF and FlhG, that target the flagellum to the right place in the cell and regulate flagellar number, respectively. Through our studies, we will build up a picture of the molecular networks that link flagellum biogenesis, cell asymmetry (or polarity), and cell division.