Matthew Kane
MCB Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences
BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences
Start Date:
September 1, 2002
Expires:
August 31, 2008 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:
$749920
Investigator(s):
Mark Young myoung@montana.edu (Principal Investigator)
David Mogk (Co-Principal Investigator) Francisco Roberto (Co-Principal Investigator) Kenneth Stedman (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:
Montana State University
309 MONTANA HALL
BOZEMAN, MT 59717 406/994-2381
NSF Program(s):
MICRO OBS & MICRO INTER & PRO
Field Application(s):
Program Reference Code(s):
EGCH, 9169, 9150, 9104
Program Element Code(s):
1089
ABSTRACT
A grant has been awarded to Drs. Mark Young and David Mogk (Montana State University-Bozeman) in collaboration with Drs. Kenneth Stedman (Portland State University) and Frank Roberto (DOE-INEEL Idaho Falls) to identify and characterize novel viruses from high temperature acidic environments present in Yellowstone National Park. The goals of this grant are to discover and analyze previously unknown viruses from very hot (>178F) and acidic (pH < 4) environments, conditions approaching boiling battery acid, and to monitor the virus populations in these environments over time. Preliminary data indicates that the viruses in these environments are unique and quite unlike viruses found in more "normal" environments. A combination of biochemical and molecular tools will be used to cultivate these viruses in the laboratory and to monitor their presence in Yellowstone's hot springs. In addition, detailed chemical analysis of these environments in which these viruses live will be performed. All cultures and DNA obtained from this project will be stored in the Montana State University Thermal Biology Institute thermophile culture collection, providing biological materials for future screening
This research has broad implications. The detailed analysis of viruses has often led the way to fundamental breakthroughs in our understanding of the biochemistry of life (such as the discovery of DNA as the genetic material). The research supported by this grant to characterize viruses from extreme environments is likely to lead to new and fundamental understanding of biological adaptations required for life at high temperatures. Presently, we only have a rudimentary understanding of how organisms survive in extreme environments and how they have adapted to their unique chemical environments. The discovery and analysis of viruses from high temperature environments is an important step in the understanding how these unusual microbial communities operate. In addition, these studies will provide additional insights into how life adapts to changes in all environments. This research will also determine if viruses can act as sensitive biosensors of chemical and biological change. Finally, these studies will not only impact our understanding of life on earth but may also provide new insights in how to look for extraterrestrial life.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH Next
(Showing: 1 - 20 of 28).
Botero LM, D'Imperio S, Burr M, McDermott TR, Young M, Hassett DJ.
"Poly(A) polymerase modification and reverse transcriptase PCR amplification of environmental RNA.,"
APPL ENVIRON MICROBIO,
v.71,
2005,
p. 1267.
Botero, L.M, K.B. Brown, S. Brumefield, M. Burr, R.W. Castenholz, M. Young, and T.R. McDermott..
"Thermobaculum terrenum gen. nov., sp. nov.: A Non-phototrophic, Gram Positive Structured Thermophile Related to the Chloroflexi (Green Non-sulfur Bacteria) and Thermomicrobia.,"
Arch. Microbiology,
v.181,
2004,
p. 269.
Clore, AJ; Stedman, KM.
"The SSV1 viral integrase is not essential,"
VIROLOGY,
v.361,
2007,
p. 103
- 111.
Douglas T, Young M..
"Viruses: Making friends with old foes,"
Science,
v.312,
2006,
p. 873.
Douglas, T; Young, M.
"Viruses: Making friends with old foes,"
SCIENCE,
v.312,
2006,
p. 873
- 875.
J. Snyder, K. Stedman, G. Rice, B. Wiedenheft, J. Sphuler, and M. Young.
"Viruses of Hyperthermophilic Archaea,"
Research in Microbiology,
v.154,
2003,
p. 474.
Khayat R, Tang L, Larson ET, Lawrence CM, Young M, Johnson JE.
"Structure of an archaeal virus capsid protein reveals a common ancestry to eukaryotic and bacterial viruses.,"
P NATL ACAD SCI USA,
v.102,
2005,
p. 18944.
Kraft P, Oeckinghaus A, Kummel D, Gauss GH, Gilmore J, Wiedenheft B, Young M, Lawrence CM.
"Crystal structure of F-93 from Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus 1, a winged-helix DNA binding protein,"
J VIROL,
v.21,
2004,
p. 11544.
Kraft, P., Kummel, D., Oeckinghaus, A., Gauss, G., Wiedenheft, B., Young, M., and C. Lawrence..
"The structure of D-63 from Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus 1: Surface properties of the dimeric four helix-bundle suggest an adaptor protein function.,"
J. Virology 78 7438-7442. 2004.,
v.78,
2004,
p. 7438.
Kraft, P., Kummel, D., Oeckinghaus, A., Gauss, G., Wiedenheft, B., Young, M., and C. Lawrence..
"The structure of D-63 from Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus 1: Surface properties of the dimeric four helix-bundle suggest an adaptor protein function.,"
J. Virology 78 7438-7442. 2004.,
v.78,
2004,
p. 7438.
Larson, E., Reiter, D., Young, M., and C. M. Lawrence.
"The structure of A197 from Sulfolobus 10. Turreted Icosahedral Virus: a crenarchaeal viral glycosyltransferase exhibiting the GT-A fold.,"
J. Virol.,
v.80,
2006,
p. 763.
Larson, ET; Eilers, BJ; Reiter, D; Ortmann, AC; Young, MJ; Lawrence, CM.
"A new DNA binding protein highly conserved in diverse crenarchaeal viruses,"
VIROLOGY,
v.363,
2007,
p. 387
- 396.
Maaty, W., Ortmann, A., Dlakic, M., Schulstad, K., Hilmer, J., Liepold, L., Weidenheft, B., Douglas, T., Young, M., and B. Bothner..
"Characterization of the archaeal thermophile Sulfolobus Turreted Icosahedral.,"
J. Virol.,
v.80,
2006,
p. 7625.
Maaty, W., Ortmann, A., Dlakic, M., Schulstad, K., Hilmer, J., Liepold, L., Weidenheft, B., Douglas, T., Young, M., and B. Bothner..
"Characterization of the archaeal thermophile Sulfolobus Turreted Icosahedral.,"
J. Virol.,
v.80,
2006,
p. 7625.
Maaty, WSA; Ortmann, AC; Dlakic, M; Schulstad, K; Hilmer, JK; Liepold, L; Weidenheft, B; Khayat, R; Douglas, T; Young, MJ; Bothner, B.
"Characterization of the archaeal thermophile Sulfolobus turreted icosahedral virus validates an evolutionary link among double-stranded DNA viruses from all domains of life,"
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY,
v.80,
2006,
p. 7625
- 7635.
Ortmann, A., Wiedenheft, B., Douglas, T. and M. Young..
"Hot Archaeal Viruses Reveal Deep Evolutionary Connections.,"
Nature Reviews Microbiology,
v.4,
2006,
p. 51.
Ramsay B, Wiedenheft B, Allen M, Gauss GH, Martin Lawrence C, Young M, Douglas T.
"Dps-like protein from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus,"
J Inorg Biochem,
v.100,
2006,
p. 1061.
Ramsay B, Wiedenheft B, Allen M, Gauss GH, Martin Lawrence C, Young M, Douglas T.
"Dps-like protein from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus,"
J Inorg Biochem,
v.100,
2006,
p. 1061.
Rice, G., Tang, L, Stedman, K., Roberto, F., Sphuler, J., Johnson, J.E., Douglas, T., and M. Young.
"The structure of a thermophilic archaeal virus shows that a dsDNA viral capsid type spans all three domains of life.,"
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Science 101 7716-7720. 2004.,
v.101,
2004,
p. 7716.
Rice, G., Tang, L, Stedman, K., Roberto, F., Sphuler, J., Johnson, J.E., Douglas, T., and M. Young.
"The structure of a thermophilic archaeal virus shows that a dsDNA viral capsid type spans all three domains of life.,"
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Science 101 7716-7720. 2004.,
v.101,
2004,
p. 7716.
