The goal of this program is an understanding of the factors that influence transcription during heterocyst differentiation in the cyanobacterium Anabaena. We have already purified and characterized the vegetative cell RNA polymerase and cloned most of the genes encoding its subunits, including the major sigma factor. We also have cloned genes for two additional sigma factors and for two proteins that regulate heterocyst differentiation. We will continue to define promoters specific for different cell types or for different stages of differentiation by deletion and point mutations, identify binding sites for transcription factors, construct suicide vectors for the selection of mutants unable to activate transcription of specific genes, design an expression system for Anabaena that allows control of transcript level in response to a small molecule, identify phosphorylated proteins that increase or decrease in response to environmental cues, and construct a high resolution physical map of the Anabaena chromosome. The map will permit the assignment of sets of genes with common regulation based on hybridization with a grid of cosmids that span the map. We are also interested in the origin and function of sets of short tandemly repeated sequences discovered at many locations in the chromosome, both following reading frames and, in one case, within the reading frame of an expressed and essential gene.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM021823-20
Application #
2173805
Study Section
Microbial Physiology and Genetics Subcommittee 2 (MBC)
Project Start
1978-05-01
Project End
1997-04-30
Budget Start
1994-05-01
Budget End
1995-04-30
Support Year
20
Fiscal Year
1994
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Chicago
Department
Genetics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
225410919
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60637
Jones, Kathryn M; Buikema, William J; Haselkorn, Robert (2003) Heterocyst-specific expression of patB, a gene required for nitrogen fixation in Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. J Bacteriol 185:2306-14
Jones, Kathryn M; Haselkorn, Robert (2002) Newly identified cytochrome c oxidase operon in the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 specifically induced in heterocysts. J Bacteriol 184:2491-9
Callahan, S M; Buikema, W J (2001) The role of HetN in maintenance of the heterocyst pattern in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Mol Microbiol 40:941-50
Buikema, W J; Haselkorn, R (2001) Expression of the Anabaena hetR gene from a copper-regulated promoter leads to heterocyst differentiation under repressing conditions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98:2729-34
Rouhiainen, L; Paulin, L; Suomalainen, S et al. (2000) Genes encoding synthetases of cyclic depsipeptides, anabaenopeptilides, in Anabaena strain 90. Mol Microbiol 37:156-67
Brandon, L; Dorus, S; Epstein, W et al. (2000) Modulation of KdpD phosphatase implicated in the physiological expression of the kdp ATPase of Escherichia coli. Mol Microbiol 38:1086-92
Bauer, C C; Ramaswamy, K S; Endley, S et al. (1997) Suppression of heterocyst differentiation in Anabaena PCC 7120 by a cosmid carrying wild-type genes encoding enzymes for fatty acid synthesis. FEMS Microbiol Lett 151:23-30
Rouhiainen, L; Sivonen, K; Buikema, W J et al. (1995) Characterization of toxin-producing cyanobacteria by using an oligonucleotide probe containing a tandemly repeated heptamer. J Bacteriol 177:6021-6
Bauer, C C; Haselkorn, R (1995) Vectors for determining the differential expression of genes in heterocysts and vegetative cells of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. J Bacteriol 177:3332-6
Black, K; Buikema, W J; Haselkorn, R (1995) The hglK gene is required for localization of heterocyst-specific glycolipids in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. J Bacteriol 177:6440-8

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