The bacterial flagellum is a complex nanomachine responsible for motility in many species. Assembly requires coordinated control of dozens of genes and involves some of the most sophisticated regulatory mechanisms found in nature. While much has been learned from the paradigm for flagellar gene regulation in studies with Escherichia coli and Salmonella, significant gaps exist in knowledge of how other bacteria regulate biogenesis, including the epsilon-Proteobacteria, members of which have profound agricultural and environmental significance. This collaborative project seeks to better understand the mechanisms Helicobacter pylori and other epsilon-Proteobacteria use to coordinate flagellar gene expression via interactions with proteins involved in export of flagellar components. Two research groups will participate: one at Kennesaw State University and the other at the University of Georgia. The research will provide critical information about how H. pylori coordinates expression of flagellar genes. Results will also inform as to how flagellar and related pathogenic structural assembly occurs in other species. In a broader sense, the results of these studies will provide a valuable framework for gene regulation in H. pylori other epsilon-Proteobacteria and expand the value of prokaryotic genome sequences by characterizing mechanisms of gene regulation in the context of assembly of large scale macromolecular structures.
Broader Impacts Kennesaw State University is a large and rapidly growing university that is fast becoming a destination of choice for undergraduates interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers from basic research to high school science teaching. Its researchers are making valuable contributions to a number of fields including microbiology and biochemistry. Among the broader impacts are enhancements in the research environment through collaboration with University of Georgia, broadening of the Kennesaw State University investigator's expertise and knowledge, and exposure of students and faculty to methods they would not otherwise experience. Extensive participation of Kennesaw State University and University of Georgia students, particularly underrepresented minorities, will help train the next generation of scientists. Continued maturation of the research environment and infrastructure will help other researchers address their questions and lay the foundation for future graduate programs. Integration of research into teaching will be accomplished by development of instructional laboratories using methods and experiments arising from the proposed work as well as outreach efforts to improve science education by involving in-service teachers and science education students. Outreach efforts will help to alleviate the critical shortage of secondary science teachers in Georgia through collaboration with Kennesaw State University's Noyce II Master Teaching Fellows and Master of Arts in Teaching programs which will increase teacher recruitment and retention.
