Study of the arising of PHO-constitutive mutants in Escherichia coli

• Grant number: 15/13730-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: November 01, 2015
• End date: December 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Biology and Physiology of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Beny Spira
• Grantee: Henrique Iglesias Neves
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Phosphorus is a macronutrient essential for living organisms and is present in organic molecules at the form of the ion phosphate (Pi). The Pi uptake in E.coli is done by the transporter PitA, when Pi is abundant; and by Pst, when Pi is limitting. When there is Pi carency at the medium, E. coli activates the transcription of a group of genes named PHO-regulon. The transcription regulation of genes of the PHO-regulon is done by the two component system PhoBR with the participation of the Pst system plus PhoU. PHO-constitutive mutants, i. e. the ones that lost this transcription regulaton, can be isolated in a medium with glycerol2-phosphate as the on carbon source independently of the Pi concenration.The present proposal describes a plan of investigation based on an ongoing research at this lab. Here, is proposed experiments for the study of systems that might be involved on the arising and maintaning of PHO-constitutive mutants; study the phenomenon of segregation of PHO-constitutive mutats, where from constitutive bacteria arise non-costitutive colonies; the role of the Phn sustem for phosphonate transport on the viability and obtaining of a mutation that uncouples the transport and regulation functions of the Pst-PhoU system. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

NEVES, Henrique Iglesias. Study of emergence of PHO-constitutive mutants in Escherichia coli.. 2020. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI) São Paulo.