- Email: [email protected]
Growth and development
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Growth and development Web alert Scott R Waterman A selection of World Wide Web sites relevant to the reviews published in this issue of Current Opinion in Microbiology. Addresses Imperial College School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK; e-mail: [email protected] Current Opinion in Microbiology 1999, 2:577—578
Nitrogen fixation http://lurch.bangor.ac.uk/dj/lectures/nit-fix/nf.html A wonderful Web site that neatly describes the process of nitrogen fixation. Some excellent pictures of root nodules produced by various Rhizobium species accompany the text describing Rhizobium–legume symbiosis. Other topics that are covered include the integration of carbon and nitrogen metabolism in Rhizobium, the structure, evolution, and ecology of the symbiotic genome, the chemical communication signals between bacteria and plants, and the genetic engineering of legumes. Stigmatella aurantiaca http://www.zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de/Schairer/report.html This home page contains a summary of current research activities in Hans Ulrich Schairer’s laboratory at the University of Heidelberg on the Gram-negative soil bacteria Stigmatella aurantiaca. The areas of research covered include a signalling factor pheromone secreted during starvation, polypeptides, genes, and alternative sigma factors involved in development, and developmental proteolysis. A diagram of the species life cycle can be obtained. Ustilaginomycetes http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/tree/eukaryotes/fungi/ basidiomycota/ustilaginomycetes/ustilaginomycetes.html This Web site gives a brief introduction to the class of Ustilaginomycetes that are parasitic to plants. Topics that are covered include plant parasitism, cellular interaction, cell wall carbohydrate composition, and 5S rRNA. A life cycle, useful pictures of infected plants, and electron micrographs showing zones of host–parasite interaction are also provided. Biofilm Menu: The Movies http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/Courses/biomi290/Horror/ Biofilmmenu.html This site provides some introductory information on the complex microbial communities that form biofilms. There are pictures and a very good figure that demonstrates the build-up of bacteria within a biofilm. Several short ‘films’ that illustrate some of the interactions and affects of biofilms can be viewed. I suggest you discover these films yourself rather than have me describe them for you here. Center for Biofilm Engineering http://www.erc.montana.edu/ This Web page is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) at Montana State University. A good overview of the
center and the research program are available, and a link to a feature from Science on biofilms in medicine is provided. A link to frequently asked microscope/image analysis questions is very good and worth noting if you are a beginner in this field. Buckman Laboratories – Learn about Biofilms http://www.buckman.com/eng/biofilm.htm This Web site contains some very informative text on the subject of biofilms. Topics discussed include what is a biofilm, problems associated with biofilms, and biofilm control. Clear and descriptive figures on corrosion and tubercle development as well as EM pictures of biofilms are presented. Trypanosome Biology http://www.gla.ac.uk/Acad/WUMP/wumprba.htm A brief but pleasing introductory Web page describing the activation of variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) genes in the metacyclic stage of T. brucei. This site would be a useful starting point for those interested in trypanosome biology. Topics covered include the infectivity strategy, how trypanosomes undergo antigenic variation, and the function of the surface coat. Protozoa as Human Parasites http://www.tulane.edu/~dmsander/WWW/224/Parasitol.html An excellent site that illustrates the life cycles of a number of protozoan pathogens. The life cycles of gut pathogens (entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium parvum), bloodstream pathogens (Plasmodium falciparum, malaria, T. brucei), and pathogens of other tissues (T. cruzi, T. gondii, Leishmania species) are superbly presented and easy to follow. This Web site can be used as a reference to quickly provide detailed information on the life cycles of a number of protozoan species. Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology http://tryps.rockefeller.edu/ A wonderful Web site from the Cross laboratory at Rockefeller University providing numerous links and images of trypanosomes. There is an introduction to parasitology and trypanosomes that includes their transmission and a very nice motile “movie” of trypanosomes among red blood cells. There are links to sequence files as well as strategies for conditional gene knockouts and expression cassettes. Links to other sites include the trypanosome genome projects, research groups, and other parasite resources. A brief introduction to antigenic variation is also available. This site has been well designed and put together and is definately worth a visit. Yeast Cell Cycle Analysis Project http://genome-www.stanford.edu/cellcycle/links.html This Web site is dedicated to the Yeast Cell Cycle Analysis Project to identify all the genes whose mRNA levels are regulated by the cell cycle. Microarray figures showing which genes are expressed during the yeast cell cycle are available and individual array data can be downloaded. Links to other microarray sites and to projects such as Yeast Evolution and Saccharomyces Genome Deletion are accessible. There is also
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a very useful information link that tells you how to use the Web site to find out if a gene is cell cycle regulated. Cell Cycle Control of S Phase: a Comparison of Two Yeasts http://mcbio.med.buffalo.edu/CMB/huberman/ Cell_Cycle_Review.html A review on the cell cycle control of S phase in the two yeast species Saccharoymces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces
pombe. The introduction describes how the initiation of DNA synthesis is regulated in the cell cycle. Accompanying this are figures illustrating the cell cycle regulation of DNA replication. Other topics that are covered include the formation of prereplicative complexes, other G1 events, triggering replication, S phase events, and resetting the clock. Perhaps a bit out of date now but still a useful reference.
11/25/1999 3:08 PM
Page 577
577
Growth and development Web alert Scott R Waterman A selection of World Wide Web sites relevant to the reviews published in this issue of Current Opinion in Microbiology. Addresses Imperial College School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK; e-mail: [email protected] Current Opinion in Microbiology 1999, 2:577—578
Nitrogen fixation http://lurch.bangor.ac.uk/dj/lectures/nit-fix/nf.html A wonderful Web site that neatly describes the process of nitrogen fixation. Some excellent pictures of root nodules produced by various Rhizobium species accompany the text describing Rhizobium–legume symbiosis. Other topics that are covered include the integration of carbon and nitrogen metabolism in Rhizobium, the structure, evolution, and ecology of the symbiotic genome, the chemical communication signals between bacteria and plants, and the genetic engineering of legumes. Stigmatella aurantiaca http://www.zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de/Schairer/report.html This home page contains a summary of current research activities in Hans Ulrich Schairer’s laboratory at the University of Heidelberg on the Gram-negative soil bacteria Stigmatella aurantiaca. The areas of research covered include a signalling factor pheromone secreted during starvation, polypeptides, genes, and alternative sigma factors involved in development, and developmental proteolysis. A diagram of the species life cycle can be obtained. Ustilaginomycetes http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/tree/eukaryotes/fungi/ basidiomycota/ustilaginomycetes/ustilaginomycetes.html This Web site gives a brief introduction to the class of Ustilaginomycetes that are parasitic to plants. Topics that are covered include plant parasitism, cellular interaction, cell wall carbohydrate composition, and 5S rRNA. A life cycle, useful pictures of infected plants, and electron micrographs showing zones of host–parasite interaction are also provided. Biofilm Menu: The Movies http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/Courses/biomi290/Horror/ Biofilmmenu.html This site provides some introductory information on the complex microbial communities that form biofilms. There are pictures and a very good figure that demonstrates the build-up of bacteria within a biofilm. Several short ‘films’ that illustrate some of the interactions and affects of biofilms can be viewed. I suggest you discover these films yourself rather than have me describe them for you here. Center for Biofilm Engineering http://www.erc.montana.edu/ This Web page is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) at Montana State University. A good overview of the
center and the research program are available, and a link to a feature from Science on biofilms in medicine is provided. A link to frequently asked microscope/image analysis questions is very good and worth noting if you are a beginner in this field. Buckman Laboratories – Learn about Biofilms http://www.buckman.com/eng/biofilm.htm This Web site contains some very informative text on the subject of biofilms. Topics discussed include what is a biofilm, problems associated with biofilms, and biofilm control. Clear and descriptive figures on corrosion and tubercle development as well as EM pictures of biofilms are presented. Trypanosome Biology http://www.gla.ac.uk/Acad/WUMP/wumprba.htm A brief but pleasing introductory Web page describing the activation of variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) genes in the metacyclic stage of T. brucei. This site would be a useful starting point for those interested in trypanosome biology. Topics covered include the infectivity strategy, how trypanosomes undergo antigenic variation, and the function of the surface coat. Protozoa as Human Parasites http://www.tulane.edu/~dmsander/WWW/224/Parasitol.html An excellent site that illustrates the life cycles of a number of protozoan pathogens. The life cycles of gut pathogens (entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium parvum), bloodstream pathogens (Plasmodium falciparum, malaria, T. brucei), and pathogens of other tissues (T. cruzi, T. gondii, Leishmania species) are superbly presented and easy to follow. This Web site can be used as a reference to quickly provide detailed information on the life cycles of a number of protozoan species. Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology http://tryps.rockefeller.edu/ A wonderful Web site from the Cross laboratory at Rockefeller University providing numerous links and images of trypanosomes. There is an introduction to parasitology and trypanosomes that includes their transmission and a very nice motile “movie” of trypanosomes among red blood cells. There are links to sequence files as well as strategies for conditional gene knockouts and expression cassettes. Links to other sites include the trypanosome genome projects, research groups, and other parasite resources. A brief introduction to antigenic variation is also available. This site has been well designed and put together and is definately worth a visit. Yeast Cell Cycle Analysis Project http://genome-www.stanford.edu/cellcycle/links.html This Web site is dedicated to the Yeast Cell Cycle Analysis Project to identify all the genes whose mRNA levels are regulated by the cell cycle. Microarray figures showing which genes are expressed during the yeast cell cycle are available and individual array data can be downloaded. Links to other microarray sites and to projects such as Yeast Evolution and Saccharomyces Genome Deletion are accessible. There is also
mc26web.qxd
11/25/1999 3:08 PM
578
Page 578
Web alert
a very useful information link that tells you how to use the Web site to find out if a gene is cell cycle regulated. Cell Cycle Control of S Phase: a Comparison of Two Yeasts http://mcbio.med.buffalo.edu/CMB/huberman/ Cell_Cycle_Review.html A review on the cell cycle control of S phase in the two yeast species Saccharoymces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces
pombe. The introduction describes how the initiation of DNA synthesis is regulated in the cell cycle. Accompanying this are figures illustrating the cell cycle regulation of DNA replication. Other topics that are covered include the formation of prereplicative complexes, other G1 events, triggering replication, S phase events, and resetting the clock. Perhaps a bit out of date now but still a useful reference.