Team Leader
Carlos Ramirez
Texas A&M
Genetics & Genomics
carlos.a.ramirez@tamu.edu
Project Type
Research
Who Can Join
Undergraduate Students
Project Description
Mecillinam is a β-lactam antibiotic that specifically inhibits the TPase activity of PBP2 in the Rod system. When mecillinam is added to E. coli, it causes the loss of rod shape and the formation of large spherical cells that eventually lyse. This is not the case in M. xanthus, where pronounced bulging near the centers of cells is produced while the cells remain rod-shaped near their poles. Under mecillinam stress, ∆pbp1a1 and ∆pbp1c form bulges similar to WT. However, ∆pbp1a2 cells maintain the rod shape throughout the cell. Interestingly, when the ∆dacB cells are exposed to mecillinam treatment, a similar effect like ∆pbp1a2 is observed, where there is no bulging, and the entire rod shape is maintained. These results provide a scenario where the Rod system (PBP2), the aPBPs (PBP1a2), and a hydrolase (DacB) are connected.
Team Needs
-Be available when needed to stay longer
-Be curious, always ask a lot of questions
-A minimum of 3 days per week is required with at least 4 hours per day.
Special Opportunities
My students will be authors of papers if their work leads to a publication. I will train them in molecular cloning, microscopy, and microbiology in general. All the basic skills are covered here.