Genome sequences of actinobacteriophages JorRay, Blocker23, Nibbles, and OlgasClover.

JorRay, Blocker23, Nibbles, and OlgasClover are actinobacteriophages belonging to clusters G1, B2, CT, and DJ, respectively. JorRay and Blocker23 were identified in host bacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155. Nibbles and OlgasClover were identified in host bacterium Gordonia rubripertincta NRRL B-16540.

Genome Sequences of Gordonia rubripertincta Bacteriophages AnarQue and Figliar.

AnarQue and Figliar are bacteriophages identified from the host bacterium Gordonia rubripertincta NRRL B-16540. AnarQue is circularly permuted and has a length of 61,822 bp; it is assigned to cluster DR. Figliar has a 3' sticky overhang and a length of 61,147 bp; it is assigned to cluster DJ.

Genome Sequences of Gordonia Bacteriophages Jodelie19, BlingBling, and Burnsey.

Jodelie19, BlingBling, and Burnsey are bacteriophages identified using host bacteria of the genus Gordonia Jodelie19 is a lytic phage found in Gordonia rubripertincta NRRL B-16540. The temperate phage BlingBling and lytic phage Burnsey were both isolated using the host bacterium Gordonia terrae 3612.

Genome Sequences of Gordonia rubripertincta Bacteriophages Jellybones and NHagos.

Jellybones and NHagos are bacteriophages that were identified in the host bacterium Gordonia rubripertincta NRRL B-16540. Jellybones has a direct terminal repeat and was assigned to the CS2 subcluster with a length of 77,514 bp. NHagos is circularly permuted and was assigned to the DR cluster with a length of 59,580 bp.

Expression-Based Cell Lineage Analysis in Drosophila Through a Course-Based Research Experience for Early Undergraduates.

A variety of genetic techniques have been devised to determine cell lineage relationships during tissue development. Some of these systems monitor cell lineages spatially and/or temporally without regard to gene expression by the cells, whereas others correlate gene expression with the lineage under study. The GAL4 Technique for Real-time and Clonal Expression (G-TRACE) system allows for rapid, fluorescent protein-based visualization of both current and past GAL4 expression patterns and is therefore amenable to genome-wide expression-based lineage screens. Here we describe the results from such a screen, performed by undergraduate students of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Undergraduate Research Consortium for Functional Genomics (URCFG) and high school summer scholars as part of a discovery-based education program. The results of the screen, which reveal novel expression-based lineage patterns within the brain, the imaginal disc epithelia, and the hematopoietic lymph gland, have been compiled into the G-TRACE Expression Database (GED), an online resource for use by the Drosophila research community. The impact of this discovery-based research experience on student learning gains was assessed independently and shown to be greater than that of similar programs conducted elsewhere. Furthermore, students participating in the URCFG showed considerably higher STEM retention rates than UCLA STEM students that did not participate in the URCFG, as well as STEM students nationwide.

Localization of anionic phospholipids in Escherichia coli cells.

Cardiolipin (CL) is an anionic phospholipid with a characteristically large curvature and is of growing interest for two primary reasons: (i) it binds to and regulates many peripheral membrane proteins in bacteria and mitochondria, and (ii) it is distributed asymmetrically in rod-shaped cells and is concentrated at the poles and division septum. Despite the growing number of studies of CL, its function in bacteria remains unknown. 10-N-Nonyl acridine orange (NAO) is widely used to image CL in bacteria and mitochondria, as its interaction with CL is reported to produce a characteristic red-shifted fluorescence emission. Using a suite of biophysical techniques, we quantitatively studied the interaction of NAO with anionic phospholipids under physiologically relevant conditions. We found that NAO is promiscuous in its binding and has photophysical properties that are largely insensitive to the structure of diverse anionic phospholipids to which it binds. Being unable to rely solely on NAO to characterize the localization of CL in Escherichia coli cells, we instead used quantitative fluorescence microscopy, mass spectrometry, and mutants deficient in specific classes of anionic phospholipids. We found CL and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) concentrated in the polar regions of E. coli cell membranes; depletion of CL by genetic approaches increased the concentration of PG at the poles. Previous studies suggested that some CL-binding proteins also have a high affinity for PG and display a pattern of cellular localization that is not influenced by depletion of CL. Framed within the context of these previous experiments, our results suggest that PG may play an essential role in bacterial physiology by maintaining the anionic character of polar membranes.