Tetrahymena thermophila - a evolutionary divergent model to uncover novel mode of transcriptional regulation

生命之树是复杂多样的。然而，一些已建立的模型，从后孔类分支，主导科学研究，阻止社区从我们周围的生物多样性学习。为了解决这个问题，我们已经建立了纤毛虫原生动物四膜虫嗜热菌作为一个有效的模式系统的生物学研究。 嗜热四膜虫是独特的，因为它将其遗传信息包含在两个细胞核中，其中一个用于生长，另一个用于有性生殖。此外，嗜热四膜虫采用进化趋异分子机制来调节其基因组物质的使用。因此，我们是加拿大的专家，四膜虫是一个非常适合发现调节遗传信息的使用和存储的新模式的模型。在我们的研究项目范围内，我们将集中精力在一个关键的结构域，介导蛋白质之间的物理关联，即溴结构域。布罗莫结构域是负责阅读细胞中乙酰化赖氨酸标记的蛋白质结构域。在我们的项目中，我们将采用最先进的工具来定义细胞中溴结构域的目标是什么，它们如何参与这些目标以及这些相互作用在四膜虫中的功能是什么。在这样做时，我们将用包括分子生物学、生物化学和组学技术在内的多样化课程培训下一代加拿大科学家，并提高我们对遗传信息如何使用和储存的理解。

The tree of life is complex and diverse. Yet, a few established models from the Opisthokonts clade, dominate scientific research preventing the community from learning from the biological diversity present around us. To address this problem, we have established the ciliate protozoa Tetrahymena thermophila as an effective model system for biological research. Tetrahymena thermophila is unique since it encloses its genetic information within two nuclei, one of which is employed for growth and the other for sexual reproduction, in a single cell. Additionally, Tetrahymena thermophila employs evolutionary divergent molecular machinery to regulate the use of its genomic material. As such, Tetrahymena thermophila, a model with which we are the Canadian experts, is perfectly suited to the discovery of novel modes of regulating the use and storage of genetic information.Within the scope of our research project, we will focus our efforts on one key domain mediating physical association between proteins, namely bromodomain. Bromodomain is the protein domain responsible for reading acetylated lysine marks in the cells. In our project, we will employ state-of-the-art tools to define what are the targets of bromodomains in cells, how they engage these targets and what are the functions of these interactions in Tetrahymena thermophila. In so doing, we will train the next generation of Canadian scientists with a diverse curriculum including molecular biology, biochemistry and omics technologies in addition to enhancing our understanding of how genetic information is used and stored.