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Chicago Tech Park Facility
Primary Investigator: Dr. Shahid Khan |
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Mission Statement
The chemotactic signal pathway of the bacterium Escherichia
coli is arguably the best understood intracellular signaling
phosphorelay. Yet the mechanism of the motile response remains
elusive. Determination of mechanism will require knowledge of
the spatial architecture of the signal and motor complexes and
their temporal modulation by chemotactic stimuli. The laboratory
has focused on this system to develop methods that will be generally
needed for elucidation of the fundamental computational strategies
employed by intracellular signal circuits.
Subunit architecture of isolated flagella motor switch complexes
has been visualized by cryo-electron microscopy. Locked motor
subunits are being analyzed to discern changes in subunit contacts
triggered upon switching motor rotation sense. Kinetics of the
signal circuitry are being determined by photo-release of chemoeffectors
from caged precursors coupled to real-time computer-assisted
motion-analysis. GFP (green fluorescent protein) - chemotaxis
protein fusions are being used to identify changes in chemotaxis
protein-protein interactions during signal transduction. The
kinetic data will be used together with computer modeling to
evaluate mechanism. Students in the laboratory will receive
training in prokaryotic molecular biology, cryoelectron and
optical microscopy, chemical kinetics, computer modeling and
image analysis.
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