Team:LCG-UNAM-Mexico/Relevance

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             <p align="justify">This project aims to contribute on two aspects of  molecular biology: First of all, a poorly known process, but common to  most microbes, will be kinetically characterized; on the other side, we  expect to settle the practical basis of a new real-time transcriptional  indicator. </p>
             <p align="justify">This project aims to contribute on two aspects of  molecular biology: First of all, a poorly known process, but common to  most microbes, will be kinetically characterized; on the other side, we  expect to settle the practical basis of a new real-time transcriptional  indicator. </p>
             <p align="justify"> Living beings interact with their environment in  many ways. Microbial communities represent the major components of the  earth’s biogeochemical cycles.  Their functional diversity gives rise  to complex ecosystems where individuals must react efficiently to  fluctuations in molecular pools that are the result of intricate  interactions among organisms. This is achieved by tightly regulating  the expression of components that allow microbes to cope with their  medium. </p>
             <p align="justify"> Living beings interact with their environment in  many ways. Microbial communities represent the major components of the  earth’s biogeochemical cycles.  Their functional diversity gives rise  to complex ecosystems where individuals must react efficiently to  fluctuations in molecular pools that are the result of intricate  interactions among organisms. This is achieved by tightly regulating  the expression of components that allow microbes to cope with their  medium. </p>
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             <p align="justify"> Nickel is one of these molecules which is  essential for some intracellular processes but it is toxic on high  concentrations. For this reason, <em>E. coli</em> cells have a chromosomally  encoded system for exporting nickel through the RcnA efflux pump and  its transcriptional repressor RcnR, which is inactivated by nickel  itself to ensure that the pump is only produced when needed. Even  though efflux systems have been widely studied due to their prominent  role in antibiotic resistance; studies have focused more into the specificity of these systems instead that on their kinetic properties.   This project will achieve experimental estimations of RcnA's kinetic parameters which will allow us to model the ratio of intra to  intercellular nickel concentrations. </p>
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             <p align="justify"> Nickel is one of these molecules which is  essential for some intracellular processes but it is toxic on high  concentrations. For this reason, <em>E. coli</em> cells have a chromosomally  encoded system for exporting nickel through the RcnA efflux pump and  its transcriptional repressor RcnR, which is inactivated by nickel  itself to ensure that the pump is only produced when needed. Even  though efflux systems have been widely studied due to their prominent  role in antibiotic resistance; studies have focused more into the specificity of these systems instead that on their kinetic properties.   This project aims to elucidate the role of RcnA kinetic properties in the system in order to accurately describe the ratio between intra and extracellular nickel concentration with a mathematical model; in this way we expect to fully understand its ecological relevance. </p>
             <p align="justify"> Maximum efficiency cannot be achieved only by  optimizing the reactions rates. Regulation of the expression is also  needed. Currently, lots of methods exist for measuring expression  levels, however most of them rely on extracting mRNA which requires to  lyse the cells. We propose that measuring resistivity can be an  efficient indicator of transcriptional activity in bacteria. This  process is neither invasive nor damaging to the cells; furthermore, the  activity of transcription can be measured directly on the culture  in a real-time manner. The possible applications of this methodology  are countless and, in principle, it can be modified to use a different  pump and/or another ion in case nickel interferes with the phenomenon  under study. <br>
             <p align="justify"> Maximum efficiency cannot be achieved only by  optimizing the reactions rates. Regulation of the expression is also  needed. Currently, lots of methods exist for measuring expression  levels, however most of them rely on extracting mRNA which requires to  lyse the cells. We propose that measuring resistivity can be an  efficient indicator of transcriptional activity in bacteria. This  process is neither invasive nor damaging to the cells; furthermore, the  activity of transcription can be measured directly on the culture  in a real-time manner. The possible applications of this methodology  are countless and, in principle, it can be modified to use a different  pump and/or another ion in case nickel interferes with the phenomenon  under study. <br>
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             Finally, we envision a time when bacteria will not only  sing but they will be able to communicate directly with scientists and  tell them what they need. In exchange for a happy life, bacteria will  help us to unveil the so far elusive secrets of life. </p>
             Finally, we envision a time when bacteria will not only  sing but they will be able to communicate directly with scientists and  tell them what they need. In exchange for a happy life, bacteria will  help us to unveil the so far elusive secrets of life. </p>
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Latest revision as of 01:08, 29 October 2008

LCG-UNAM-Mexico:Modeling

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Relevance

 

This project aims to contribute on two aspects of molecular biology: First of all, a poorly known process, but common to most microbes, will be kinetically characterized; on the other side, we expect to settle the practical basis of a new real-time transcriptional indicator.

Living beings interact with their environment in many ways. Microbial communities represent the major components of the earth’s biogeochemical cycles.  Their functional diversity gives rise to complex ecosystems where individuals must react efficiently to fluctuations in molecular pools that are the result of intricate interactions among organisms. This is achieved by tightly regulating the expression of components that allow microbes to cope with their medium.

Nickel is one of these molecules which is essential for some intracellular processes but it is toxic on high concentrations. For this reason, E. coli cells have a chromosomally encoded system for exporting nickel through the RcnA efflux pump and its transcriptional repressor RcnR, which is inactivated by nickel itself to ensure that the pump is only produced when needed. Even though efflux systems have been widely studied due to their prominent role in antibiotic resistance; studies have focused more into the specificity of these systems instead that on their kinetic properties.  This project aims to elucidate the role of RcnA kinetic properties in the system in order to accurately describe the ratio between intra and extracellular nickel concentration with a mathematical model; in this way we expect to fully understand its ecological relevance.

Maximum efficiency cannot be achieved only by optimizing the reactions rates. Regulation of the expression is also needed. Currently, lots of methods exist for measuring expression levels, however most of them rely on extracting mRNA which requires to lyse the cells. We propose that measuring resistivity can be an efficient indicator of transcriptional activity in bacteria. This process is neither invasive nor damaging to the cells; furthermore, the activity of transcription can be measured directly on the culture in a real-time manner. The possible applications of this methodology are countless and, in principle, it can be modified to use a different pump and/or another ion in case nickel interferes with the phenomenon under study.

Finally, we envision a time when bacteria will not only sing but they will be able to communicate directly with scientists and tell them what they need. In exchange for a happy life, bacteria will help us to unveil the so far elusive secrets of life.


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