It is clear that growth and sporulation are inexorably intertwined in the most fundamental of cellular functions including chromosome replication and division but the mechanisms that join these processes are poorly, if at all, understood. This research program investigates regulatory connections between the coordination of cell growth and division and the basic mechanisms by which proteins evolve molecular recognition. This proposal investigates two-component signaling at several levels. A vital system, YycFG, required for homeostatic maintenance of cell wall and membrane components essential for growth is shown to be physically associated with the division mechanism and to receive and possibly coordinate signaling between division and cell wall synthesis. Protein:protein association in heterologous multiprotein complexes is one means for sharing information between processes and for amalgamating enzymes of biosynthetic pathways into super-molecular complexes. How proteins know who to assemble with is determined by interaction surface residues. In this proposal we apply our mathematical analyses of large sets of proteins deduced from genomic sequence databases to identify interaction surfaces to the problem of how biosynthetic pathways form large synthetic complexes. Despite the considerable evidence for the interweaving of regulatory controls for growth and sporulation, there is very little known f signals or mechanisms that decide between the two outcomes for cell division;growth or sporulation. New investigations are proposed in understanding sensor kinase regulation and to delve deeper into the regulatory connections with growth. The significance of this research is not limited to understanding the phosphorelay and sporulation in a corner of the bacterial world but has regulatory implications for signal transduction in eukaryotes and plants.

Public Health Relevance

This proposal continues long term studies designed to understand how bacteria respond to environmental and cell cycle signals to promote growth, division, and development. Interference with these mechanisms is the basis for design of molecules to combat infectious disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM019416-40
Application #
8458944
Study Section
Prokaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology Study Section (PCMB)
Program Officer
Gaillard, Shawn R
Project Start
1977-05-01
Project End
2016-03-31
Budget Start
2013-04-01
Budget End
2014-03-31
Support Year
40
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$737,572
Indirect Cost
$348,352
Name
Scripps Research Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
781613492
City
La Jolla
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92037
Feinauer, Christoph; Szurmant, Hendrik; Weigt, Martin et al. (2016) Inter-Protein Sequence Co-Evolution Predicts Known Physical Interactions in Bacterial Ribosomes and the Trp Operon. PLoS One 11:e0149166
Wu, R; Gu, M; Wilton, R et al. (2013) Insight into the sporulation phosphorelay: crystal structure of the sensor domain of Bacillus subtilis histidine kinase, KinD. Protein Sci 22:564-76
Pokkuluri, P Raj; Dwulit-Smith, Jeff; Duke, Norma E et al. (2013) Analysis of periplasmic sensor domains from Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans 2CP-C: structure of one sensor domain from a histidine kinase and another from a chemotaxis protein. Microbiologyopen 2:766-77
Perego, Marta (2013) Forty years in the making: understanding the molecular mechanism of peptide regulation in bacterial development. PLoS Biol 11:e1001516
Szurmant, Hendrik; Hoch, James A (2013) Statistical analyses of protein sequence alignments identify structures and mechanisms in signal activation of sensor histidine kinases. Mol Microbiol 87:707-12
Dago, Angel E; Schug, Alexander; Procaccini, Andrea et al. (2012) Structural basis of histidine kinase autophosphorylation deduced by integrating genomics, molecular dynamics, and mutagenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 109:E1733-42
Bobay, Benjamin G; Hoch, James A; Cavanagh, John (2012) Dynamics and activation in response regulators: the ?4-?4 loop. Biomol Concepts 3:175-182
Diaz, Alejandra R; Core, Leighton J; Jiang, Min et al. (2012) Bacillus subtilis RapA phosphatase domain interaction with its substrate, phosphorylated Spo0F, and its inhibitor, the PhrA peptide. J Bacteriol 194:1378-88
Procaccini, Andrea; Lunt, Bryan; Szurmant, Hendrik et al. (2011) Dissecting the specificity of protein-protein interaction in bacterial two-component signaling: orphans and crosstalks. PLoS One 6:e19729
Baker, Kris Ann; Perego, Marta (2011) Transcription antitermination by a phosphorylated response regulator and cobalamin-dependent termination at a B?? riboswitch contribute to ethanolamine utilization in Enterococcus faecalis. J Bacteriol 193:2575-86

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