Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CORA (Copper Acquisition)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2016-06-01 do 2018-05-31
Another question our project attempted to answer was what types of proteins N.viennensis could be using to obtain Cu? To answer this question we grew N.viennensis under Cu-limited conditions and Cu-replete conditions and determined what types of genes were triggered in response to these conditions. We used two different methods, one method involved using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) which can measure the amount of genes that are active in an organism. By comparing specific genes we hypothesized to be involved in Cu-uptake between the two conditions we could determine if these genes could potentially be involved in Cu-uptake. Another approach we used is transcriptomics. With this type of method, one can determine several hundred genes that could potentially be active under both conditions. We also carried out experiments where we screened for the presence of a Cu-binding chemical complex in cultures.
Gene expression results from the project CORA are expected to contribute to advancing the current state of the art by identifying potential genes (and hence potential gene products) that could be involved in Cu uptake in the archaeon N.viennensis. This information will be the first of its kind and open the field to future studies whereby Cu acquisition can be studied in other types of archaea.