# MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF MOT AND CHE GENE PRODUCTS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · 1988 · $186,699

## Abstract

The study of bacterial chemotaxis offers an approach to understanding the
basic fundamentals of the biological signalling systems at the ultimate
molecular level.  As more is learned about sensory-signalling systems of
higher eucaryotes such as the visual system or the hormone receptor
systems, it has become obvious that bacterial chemotaxis is not a model for
these phenomena but rather another example of the same basic biochemical
mechanism.  Because of the similarity of all of the signalling systems,
understanding of an aspect of one system has immediately been applicable to
the others.  For example, the GTPase activity of the transducin protein of
the visual system is now known to be analogous to the GTPase activity of
the G protein in the beta-adrenergic hormone system.  Covalent modification
of the signaller by methylation in bacteria is analogous to phosphorylation
of the signaller in the rhodopsin system.

One of the advantages of the bacterial system is the wealth of genetic data
accumulated over the years.  There are greater than 40 genes and 12 operons
required for a fully functioning chemotaxis system in E.coli.  It is this
availability of genetics which allows the bacterial system to gain insight
not possible with the eucaryotic systems.  For example, the genetics has
been used to identify all of the gene products involved in bacterial
sensory reception and signal transduction.  Therefore, all of the parts of
the system are known.

On the other hand, some aspects of biochemical analysis are more advanced
in the higher eucaryotic systems.  This has been true because sensory
organs, such as bovine eyes, are readily available in large quantity.  It
has not, however, been possible in the past to isolate the sensory
organelle from bacteria.  Now, by exploiting in vitro genetic
recombination, it has been possible to overproduce and purify milligram
quantities of individual chemotaxis proteins.  this ability coupled with
the well-developed genetics and the biochemical precedents developed in
higher systems will enable the sensory system of bacertial chemotaxis to be
understood at the molecular level.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3128386
- **Project number:** 5R01AI018985-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
- **SAM.gov UEI:** W8XEAJDKMXH3
- **Principal Investigator:** PHILIP MATSUMURA
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $186,699
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1982-04-01 → 1990-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3128386

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3128386, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF MOT AND CHE GENE PRODUCTS (5R01AI018985-07). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3128386. Licensed CC0.

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