The bacterium cytophaga johnsonae moves by gliding motility, which means that the cells possess no flagella and are incapable of swimming but can translocate over surfaces with which they come in contact. The molecular machinery underlying gliding motility has not been identified, nor have the mechanisms that regulate the movements of gliding bacteria. The proposed research is based on previous work with wild-type cells and nonmotile mutants of C. johnsonae showing characteristic movements of cell surface components and identifying membrane proteins involved in cell movements. These proteins will be purified and characterized, with particular attention to their glyconjugates. The long-term objective is to explain the mechanisms and regulation of gliding in Cytophaga johnsonae. The Cytophaga - Flexibacter group is an important and ubiquitous group of bacteria, present in soil and water, and important in turnover of macromolecules of all kinds, including chitin, cellulose, agar, and carageenan. Some members of the group are pathogens of fish or shellfish, or plant pathogens involved in soft-rot of vegetables. The have also been implicated as agents of tooth decay in humans, and responsible for a lung disease seen in textile mill workers.
