Molecular Genetic Analysis of Competence for Genetic        Transformation in Streptococcus Pneumoniae                 #~
{'Code': '08070100', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'MCB', 'LongName': 'Div Of Molecular and Cellular Bioscience'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Philip Harriman', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
A study will be made of pneumococcal transformation, a naturally                occurring, inducible gene replacement mechanism that is                         relatively simple and very efficient.  Competence for genetic                   transformation in pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae) occurs                during a brief period of highly specialized protein synthesis,                  coordinated among all cells of an actively growing culture.                     During a period of approximately 10 minutes, the competent cells                can transport DNA into the cytoplasm, and replace homologous                    genes in the chromosome very efficiently.  Identification and                   cloning of the genes involved in this mechanism, and                            determination of their roles, will be carried out with classical                techniques, including the efficient gene replacement provided by                the natural transformation process itself, in combination with                  molecular methods in vitro and recombinant DNA cloning in E.                    coli, to establish the molecular genetics of the system.  This                  strategy uses gene disruption mutations made by insertion of a                  drug resistance marker that is expressed both in E. coli and in                 Streptococcus.  These studies will identify, clone, and map                     competence genes of several phenotypic classes, identify gene                   products, and characterize phenotypes of gene disruption mutants.               These clones and maps will be used as tools to study both the                   genetic exchange mechanism and the control system responsible for               the differentiation at competence.
{'FirstName': 'Donald', 'LastName': 'Morrison', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'A', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Donald A Morrison', 'EmailAddress': 'damorris@uic.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000116160', 'StartDate': '05/01/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'University of Illinois at Chicago', 'CityName': 'CHICAGO', 'ZipCode': '606124305', 'PhoneNumber': '3129962862', 'StreetAddress': '809 S MARSHFIELD AVE M/C 551', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Illinois', 'StateCode': 'IL', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '07', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'IL07', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'W8XEAJDKMXH3', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
{'Name': None, 'CityName': None, 'StateCode': None, 'ZipCode': None, 'StreetAddress': None, 'CountryCode': None, 'CountryName': None, 'StateName': None, 'CountryFlag': None, 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': None, 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_PERF': '""'}
{'Code': '111200', 'Text': 'Genetic Mechanisms'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1987&All=true', 'xml': '8704310.xml'}