This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Marine Synechococcus occupy an important position at the base of the marine food web. How certain strains are able to swim through their liquid media without flagella or any other identifiable locomotory structure remains a mystery. Several experimental approaches, including ultrastructural analysis and directed mutagenesis based on whole genome sequence information have begun to shed light on how these cells swim. Recently, the use of transposon mutagenesis identified several clusters of genes involved in swimming motility. One protein in particular will be focused on to elucidate its particular role in swimming motility. The immediate goal is to visualize this protein both by negative staining and immunolabeling combined with negative staining. This work will only require use of the conventional TEMs. McCarren would also like to investigate the arrangement of this protein on the cell surface. Towards this end, it may be possible to initially utilize samples and tomograms prepared several years ago at NCMIR. As such we may require computational resources for a reanalysis of tomograms or acquisition of new tilt-series from the already prepared samples. Prior work showed cryofixation to be important for maintaining the native structure of the cell surface, thus if new samples are prepared cryofixation and freeze-substitution equipment will likely be required.
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