Label-Free Elucidation of Mechanism of GabR Transcription Regulation with Compensated Interferometry

Abstract

Considering the urgency to develop treatments to combat airborne infectious diseases, this project aims to address knowledge gaps to gain insights into the mechanisms of GabR transcription regulators that regulate key functions for bacterial survival and virulence. Specifically, the DNA-binding domain of GabR overlaps with sites of RNA polymerase (RNAP) binding, therefore, a biomolecular interaction between GabR, DNA, and RNAP is proposed. To investigate this, a label-free binding study using a free-solution assay combined with a recently developed Compensated Interferometric Reader is being assembled and used to detect changes in conformation upon binding in a way that emulates native conditions