Elucidating Pattern Formation in Anabaena:  A Genetic       Approach
{'Code': '08090100', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'IOS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Judith Plesset', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
Anabaena in a filamentous cyanobacterium that responds to nitrogen          deprivation by elaborating along the filament semi-regularly spaced             cells (heterocysts) specialized for N2-fixation.  The pattern of                heterocysts is initiated amd maintained by an inhibitory field emanating        from developing and mature heterocysts.  Dr. Wolk has isolated mutants          that are defective early in development and have found cosmids that             complement certain of these mutants.  To study spatial aspects of gene          expression in the developing filament, he has developed a vector that           facilitates transcriptional fusions to luciferase (lux) and their               maintenance in Anabaena.  He proposes to: 1. Further develop and                characterize the use of lux to monitor gene expression from individual          cells.  2.  Identify a gene that is expressed early in development,             specifically in cells fated to become heterocysts.  Candidate promoters         will be fused to lux and light emission along the filament monitored            through the course of development.  3. Subject Anabaena carrying the            successful promoter/lux fusions to transposon mutagenesis and antisense         RNA phenotypic mutagenesis to search for genes that regulate the                expression of the promoter.  Such genes will be identified by altered           light emission.  Dr. Wolk will focus on mutants that respond to N-              stepdown by inducing light emission in all cells rather than only in            developing heterocysts.  4. Clone genes that affect the expression of           the promoter and, by fusing them to lux, localize their expression in           time and space.                                                                     Higher eukaryotes develop from single cells to collections of cells         of varied types and functions, but inhomogeneous differentiation in             prokaryotes is rare.  Dr. Wolk proposes to exploit the differentiation          of the filamentous cyanobacterium, Anabaena, to study these processes in        a simple prokaryote where powerful genetic techniques can be utilized.
{'FirstName': 'Coleman', 'LastName': 'Wolk', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'P', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Coleman P Wolk', 'EmailAddress': 'wolk@msu.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000113583', 'StartDate': '11/01/1987', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'Michigan State University', 'CityName': 'EAST LANSING', 'ZipCode': '488242600', 'PhoneNumber': '5173555040', 'StreetAddress': '426 AUDITORIUM RD RM 2', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Michigan', 'StateCode': 'MI', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '07', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'MI07', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'R28EKN92ZTZ9', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': 'VJKZC4D1JN36'}
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{'Code': '1111', 'Text': 'DEVELOPMENTAL SYSTEMS CLUSTER'}
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