Genome-wide Changes in Bacterial Transcription Units as a Function of Oxygen Limitation

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

The overall objective of this project is to develop and implement a strategy to define high-resolution maps of bacterial transcription units and changes in these transcription units in different growth conditions. The strategy has two parts: (i) to define the promoters and transcription units of a model bacterium, E. coli, under aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions; and (ii) to determine the genomewide binding sites of key regulators. These goals will be accomplished by pursuing three specific aims: (i) systematically define E. coli transcription units; (ii) determine how transcription units change in different growth conditions; and (iii) map binding sites for transcriptional regulators using oligonucleotide microarrays. The project will have scientific impact in two areas. First, because E. coli is the most widely studied microorganism, knowledge about it provides the framework for detailed mechanistic studies of microbial cell and molecular biology and for the growing fields of systems biology, synthetic biology, and in silico modeling of complex biological networks. By providing accurate information based on rigorous experiments, the project will help build a solid foundation for study of E. coli and related organisms. Second, development of an integrated experimental strategy will provide a paradigm, as well as tools and technology that can be broadly applied to many bacteria. The project will have significant broader impacts by training graduate and undergraduate students in experimental microbial science from a cutting-edge perspective and by developing an instructional module on bacterial transcription.