TRR 174:  Spatiotemporal dynamics of bacterial cells

• Subject Area: Biology ; Medicine
• Term: from 2017 to 2021
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 269423233

Bacteria are ubiquitous in the environment and of great ecological, medical and biotechnological importance. It is now appreciated that they are highly organized entities whose function depends on the dynamic targeting of biomolecules to defined subcellular locations. These spatiotemporal dynamics form the basis of essential cellular processes such as cell growth and division, DNA segregation, cell cycle regulation, cell differentiation, environmental interactions, and motility. Im-portantly, the molecular mechanisms underlying the spatiotemporal organization of bacterial cells are fundamentally different from those in eukaryotic systems. In TRR 174, 18 research groups centered in the Marburg and Munich areas have joined forces to investigate four closely inter-connected sets of spatiotemporally organized systems that critically contribute to the function of bacterial cells. These focal research areas include (i) cell growth, morphogenesis and division, (ii) DNA organization, segregation and function, (iii) the positioning of motility structures, and (iv) the dynamics of (membrane) protein complex assembly. The central goal of TRR 174 is to understand how local interactions between individual cellular components can give rise to the dynamic three-dimensional organization of bacterial cells. To this end, the consortium aims to identify the components controlling the cellular processes under study, dissect their collective behavior in vivo and comprehensively analyze their properties and interactions in vitro. These experimental approaches are complemented by modeling studies to unravel the emergent properties of the systems. Moreover, the reconstitution of isolated systems is used as a means to test for the completeness of the understanding gained. Notably, the research groups within TRR 174 investigate a range of different bacterial model organisms. By studying a defined set of cellular processes in evolutionarily distinct species, they aim to determine whether spatiotemporally organized systems mediating particular cellular functions follow similar design principles. Moreover, this multi-system approach helps to identify different solutions that nature has evolved to perform given cellular tasks. As a long-term perspective, the results obtained within TRR 174 may identify new antibiotic targets or provide the basis for the design of synthetic spatiotemporally organized systems to optimize cells for applied purposes. The scientific work of TRR 174 is facilitated by comprehensive support structures that foster collaborations between the participating research groups. Moreover, a newly established Integrated Research Training Group (iBacCell) will provide the doctoral researchers working in the consortium with the knowledge and skills required to productively interact in the context of an interdisciplinary consortium such as TRR 174, and it will prepare them to excel in their future careers in- and outside of academia.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios

Completed projects

• P01 - Spatiotemporal regulation of cell division and motility in Myxococcus xanthus (Project Head Sogaard-Andersen, Lotte )
• P02 - In vitro reconstitution of nucleoid-guided cargo positioning by ParA ATPases (Project Head Schwille, Petra )
• P03 - Generic mechanisms for spatiotemporal protein patterns in bacterial cells (Project Head Frey, Erwin )
• P04 - Budding and asymmetric cell division in Hyphomonas neptunium (Project Head Thanbichler, Martin Rudolf )
• P05 - Apical cell growth and generation of cellular asymmetry in corynebacteria (Project Head Bramkamp, Marc )
• P06 - Physical principles of chromosome organization and segregation by ParABS and SMC (Project Head Broedersz, Chase )
• P07 - Spatial organization and temporal dynamics of multi-replicon genomes in alpha-rhizobia (Project Head Becker, Anke )
• P08 - Modeling the spatial organization of bacterial chromosomes (Project Head Lenz, Peter )
• P09 - Spatiotemporal dynamics of low-copy number receptors (Project Head Jung, Kirsten )
• P10 - Quantitative analysis of a spatial toggle switch and one-component signaling in bacteria (Project Head Gerland, Ulrich )
• P11 - Spatiotemporal regulation of peritrichous flagellation in Bacillus subtilis (Project Head Bange, Gert )
• P12 - Molecular and mechanistic basis for spatiotemporal organization of polar and lateral flagella (Project Head Thormann, Kai )
• P13 - Co-translational membrane targeting by SRP and FlhF (Project Head Beckmann, Roland )
• P14 - Chromosome and protein dynamics during the insertion of membrane proteins into the cell membrane (Project Head Graumann, Peter )
• P15 - Spatiotemporal dynamics of a membrane-associated RNA-binding protein and its cargo in Vibrio cholerae (Project Head Papenfort, Kai )
• P16 - Diffusional properties of proteins in a bacterial cell (Project Head Sourjik, Victor )
• Z02 - Central tasks of the Transregio Collaborative Research Center (Project Head Thanbichler, Martin Rudolf )

• Applicant Institution: Philipps-Universität Marburg
• Co-Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Participating University: Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen; Technische Universität München (TUM)
• Participating Institution: Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie (MPIB); Max-Planck-Institut für terrestrische Mikrobiologie
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Martin Rudolf Thanbichler