PhD Studentship: Cysteinolides, a Novel Microbial Sulfonolipids in the Oceans

Marine roseobacter clade bacteria play important roles in the global carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycles (Buchan et al., 2014). For example, they are involved in the formation and consumption of the climate-active gases- methylated amines. These bacteria have the remarkable flexibility in their metabolism and their success in the colonising global oceans can be at least partially attributed to their ability to adapt to oligotrophic surface marine waters. In doing so, these bacteria use membrane lipid remodelling strategy whereby membrane phospholipids are replaced with non-phosphorus surrogate lipids in order to reduce their cellular phosphorus quota (Sebastian et al., 2016).

We have previously characterized one such surrogate lipid, the sulfur containing cysteinolides lipids in marine bacteria (Smith et al., 2021; Guillonneau et a., 2022; Roman et al., 2024). Although this lipid appears widely distributed in the oceans, their biosynthesis pathways and the physiological role of these lipids in marine microbes remain unestablished.

Here in this project, we will combine laboratory and microcosm studies to fully uncover its biosynthes and the role of this lipid in bacteria.

Firstly, we aim to establish a high throughput workflow for producing transposon mutant libraries which will be subject to HPLC-MS based screening for genes involved in cysteinolides synthesis. This will involve producing a transposon library in representative marine roseobacter strains.

Secondly, we aim to uncover the physiological role of this lipid using comparative proteomics. We will use mutant that is unable to produce this lipid and challenge the wild type bacterial strains and mutants in various experimental conditions in order to test the fitness of these strains, hence the role of cysteinolides in their physiology.

For further information on this project and details of how to apply to it please click on the above 'Apply' button

Further information on how to apply for a CENTA studentship can be found on the CENTA website: https://centa.ac.uk/

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