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Swarming motility and the regulation of flagellar biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis

Award Number: R35GM131783
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2019
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 02/28/2029

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Swarming motility and the regulation of flagellar biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis - ABSTRACT Many bacteria are motile by synthesizing corkscrew-like flagella which when rotated propel bacteria through the environment. Each bacterium synthesizes a species-specific number of flagella and inserts the flagella in a species-specific pattern on the cell surface. Flagella are complex nanomachines assembled from dozens of different proteins and how each bacterial species controls flagellar number and patterning is poorly- understood. Moreover, the number of flagella per cell increases when cells come into contact a solid surface to initiate a form of surface motility called swarming. The Kearns lab uses classical forward genetics, super- resolution microscopy, and biochemistry to study flagellar biosynthesis and swarming motility of the Gram positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. The goals of the project are to understand flagellar biosynthesis in the context of growing cell architecture. First, we will determine how flagellar number is controlled by the poorly- understood master regulator of flagellar biosynthesis SwrA and a response regulator DegU. Second, we will explore how the surface contact response is transduced to inhibit the adaptor-mediated regulatory proteolysis of SwrA and increase flagellar number. Third, flagella are synthesized in a grid-like pattern and we will study how flagellar patterning is interpreted and updated in time during cell growth, and coordinated with peptidoglycan insertion. Fourth, we will study how flagellar assembly is integrated with two other envelope- associated machines, the cell elongasome and the divisome controlling cell growth and division, respectively. Ultimately, we want to achieve a holistic understanding of how a cell dynamically governs the initiation of flagellar biosynthesis at specific locations to insert the machine through the cell wall. Our basic research is fundamental to how cells self-organize and is applicable to the spatiotemporal control of the assembly of transenvelope nanomachines involved in pathogenesis including flagella, pili and protein secretion apparati.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $417,239 )
2026	2026	TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY	107 S INDIANA AVE	BLOOMINGTON	IN	47405	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	8	2/5/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$417,239
														Subtotal = $417,239

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $463,599 )
2025	2025	TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY	107 S INDIANA AVE	BLOOMINGTON	IN	47405	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	002	7	4/11/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$463,599
2025	2024	TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY	107 S INDIANA AVE	BLOOMINGTON	IN	47405	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	6	11/25/2024	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2025	2023	TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY	107 S INDIANA AVE	BLOOMINGTON	IN	47405	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	001	5	1/17/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $463,599

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $463,599 )
2024	2024	TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY	107 S INDIANA AVE	BLOOMINGTON	IN	47405	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	6	3/11/2024	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$463,599
														Subtotal = $463,599

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $489,825 )
2023	2023	TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY	107 S INDIANA AVE	BLOOMINGTON	IN	47405	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	5	4/4/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$489,825
														Subtotal = $489,825

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $489,825 )
2022	2022	TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY	107 S INDIANA AVE	BLOOMINGTON	IN	47405	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	001	4	7/21/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$48,984
2022	2022	TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY	107 S INDIANA AVE	BLOOMINGTON	IN	47405	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	4	3/2/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$440,841
														Subtotal = $489,825

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $489,825 )
2021	2021	TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY	107 S INDIANA AVENUE	BLOOMINGTON	IN	47405	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	3	3/11/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$489,825
														Subtotal = $489,825

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $489,825 )
2020	2020	TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY	BRYAN HALL 107 S INDIANA AVENUE	BLOOMINGTON	IN	47405	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	2	3/17/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$489,825
														Subtotal = $489,825

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $573,631 )
2019	2019	TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY	BRYAN HALL 107 S INDIANA AVENUE	BLOOMINGTON	IN	47405	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	1	3/21/2019	NEW	$573,631
														Subtotal = $573,631

Grand Total All Awards = $3,877,368

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Swarming motility and the regulation of flagellar biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis

Award Number: R35GM131783

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2019

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 02/28/2029

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