U.S.-Japan Cooperative Science: A Biochemical and Molecular Investigation of Piezophilic Bacterial Adaptation to the Deep-Sea High Pressure Environment

Iowa State University, Ames IA

Investigators

Abstract

0202799 Fang This award supports a two-year collaborative research project between Professor Jiasong Fang at Iowa State University and Dr. Chiaki Kato at the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) in Kanagawa, Japan. The researchers will undertake a study of the biochemical and molecular investigation of piezophilic bacterial adaptation to the deep-sea high-pressure environment. They will investigate the biosynthesis of fatty acids and pyospholipids in piezophilic bacteria in response to high pressures. Specific objectives include: 1) determine the source (de novo synthesis vs. dietary uptake) of the membrane fatty acids in different piezophilic bacteria; 2) elucidate the extent of coupling between fatty acid and phospholipid synthesis and determine if molecular retailoring (acylation-reacylation) is utilized by piezophilic bacteria in regulating membrane lipid composition; 3) determine the variation of the ratios of different classes of phospholipids associated with growth under selected temperatures and pressures; and 4) conduct molecular cloning and sequencing of EPA and DHA biosynthetic pathways in piezophilic bacteria and analyze molecular mechanisms of the gene expression and regulation of fatty acid and phospholipid synthesis in piezophiles. The project brings together the efforts of two laboratories that have complementary expertise and research capabilities. Dr. Fang's expertise is in lipid biochemistry and instrumental analysis and Dr. Kato's expertise is in isolation and cultivation of piezophilic bacteria as well as in molecular genetic analysis. Results of the project will broaden our understanding on the mechanisms of lipid biosynthesis in different types of piezophilic bacteria in response to pressures and answer if microbial synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids is a widely occurring phenomenon in the marine environment. In addition, the research will increase our understanding of the environmental contexts conductive to the maintenance of life on Earth or extraterrestrial planets. The project will also provide a unique opportunity for multidisciplinary exposure to an undergraduate student. Throughout the project, results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scholarly conferences and meetings.