Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo
Research groups
Cell biology and Biotechnology
Regulation of biodegradation pathways for aromatic compounds in Gram positive bacteria of environmental interest
Dr Belén Floriano. UPOResearcher associated to Dr Eduardo Santero Santurino. UPO
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Summary
Current position at CABD: Associated researcher
Current position at UPO: Full professor
Previous scientific experience:
Molecular biology of filamentous cyanobacteria (IBVF-CSIC)
Antibiotic production regulation in Streptomyces (JIC-BBSRC)
Bacteriocin production by lactic acid bacteria (IG-CSIC)
Main project:
Regulation of biodegradation pathways for aromatic compounds in Gram positive bacteria of environmental interest
Rhodococcus sp strain TFB is a versatile gram positive bacterium able to grow using different aromatic compounds (like tetralin, naphthalene, phthalate, etc.) as carbon and energy sources transforming them to CO2 and water. Since this strain is refractory to genetic analysis, we have made use of a proteomic approach to characterize the metabolic pathways involved in the catabolism of such compounds by analyzing differentially induced proteins in 2D-DIGE gels. Identification of those proteins allowed us to clone and sequence the corresponding genes to study their expression.
Diverse regulatory mechanisms seem to be operating at the same time in this bacterium to control the expression of catabolic genes in response to the presence of the right signal in the medium. Using different approaches, we are characterizing the promoters that drive the transcription of the catabolic genes and the proteins involved in such control in TFB.
Rhodococcus sp strain TFB is a versatile gram positive bacterium able to grow using different aromatic compounds (like tetralin, naphthalene, phthalate, etc.) as carbon and energy sources transforming them to CO2 and water. Since this strain is refractory to genetic analysis, we have made use of a proteomic approach to characterize the metabolic pathways involved in the catabolism of such compounds by analyzing differentially induced proteins in 2D-DIGE gels. Identification of those proteins allowed us to clone and sequence the corresponding genes to study their expression.
Diverse regulatory mechanisms seem to be operating at the same time in this bacterium to control the expression of catabolic genes in response to the presence of the right signal in the medium. Using different approaches, we are characterizing the promoters that drive the transcription of the catabolic genes and the proteins involved in such control in TFB.
Other projects:
Molecular mechanism of thn genes regulation in Sphingomonas macrogolitabida strain TFA
The success of a bacterium in the environment depends not only on its metabolic versatility but on the regulatory mechanisms that ensure the expression of the catabolic pathways when is really needed. Sphingomonas macrobolitabida strain TFA is a gram negative bacterium able to grow on tetralin (a compound with an alicyclic and an aromatic ring) as carbon and energy sources. Catabolic thn genes are regulated at two different levels: specific induction by tetralin and catabolite repression, a global gene expression control that assures the absence of thn genes expression when a preferential carbon source is present in the medium. Specific tetralin induction relies on a transcriptional regulator (ThnR) whose activity is modulated by a system that “talks” to the metabolic pathway at the same time (see the work of the collaborator Dr Francisca Reyes). In this project we are studying the molecular mechanism by which ThnR acts as transcriptional activator and identifying the elements involved in catabolite repression in TFA.
The success of a bacterium in the environment depends not only on its metabolic versatility but on the regulatory mechanisms that ensure the expression of the catabolic pathways when is really needed. Sphingomonas macrobolitabida strain TFA is a gram negative bacterium able to grow on tetralin (a compound with an alicyclic and an aromatic ring) as carbon and energy sources. Catabolic thn genes are regulated at two different levels: specific induction by tetralin and catabolite repression, a global gene expression control that assures the absence of thn genes expression when a preferential carbon source is present in the medium. Specific tetralin induction relies on a transcriptional regulator (ThnR) whose activity is modulated by a system that “talks” to the metabolic pathway at the same time (see the work of the collaborator Dr Francisca Reyes). In this project we are studying the molecular mechanism by which ThnR acts as transcriptional activator and identifying the elements involved in catabolite repression in TFA.