The goal of this research is to elucidate host-symbiont relationships in a unique model ameba-bacteria symbiotic system. The research will focus on the symbiosome membrane, which is the intracellular membrane defining the intracellular compartment in which the endocytic bacteria reside. Questions to be asked include: what is unique about the biochemical makeup of the symbiosome membrane? How is the symbiosome membrane involved in the prevention of lysosomal digestion of the symbiotic bacteria? How is the symbiosome membrane involved in the mutual dependency for survival of the bacteria on the host and the host on the bacteria? These questions will be addressed using modern biochemical and molecular biological approaches, including monoclonal antibodies for detection of unique antigens and immunocytochemical studies. This research has relevance to a wide range of endosymbiotic systems, including but not limited to the nitrogen-fixing bacteria contained within root cells of leguminous plants and intracellular parasitic bacterial diseases.
