Genetic and Molecular Basis of Marine Fouling.

摘要

The goal of our research is to use molecular and genetic techniques to investigate the process of bacterial attachment to and colonization of surfaces in the marine environment. We are focussing on exploring the mechanism which controls surface-induced swarmer cell differentiation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Gene fusions which couple transcription of swarmer cell genes, laf, to luminescence reporter genes, lux, have been used to analyze how environmental signals regulate differentiation, and a novel mechanism of surface recognition involving a tactile sensor and an iron sensor has been discovered. Work is continuing to develop a refined understanding of the sensors and other elements in the information transduction circuit which controls expression of swarmer cell genes. Keywords: Surface recognition; Gene regulation; Bacterial differentiation. (kr)