Igor Jouline (Zhulin) Associate Professor, Microbiology, The University of Tennessee Senior R&D Staff Member, Computer Science & Mathematics, ORNL PhD: Microbiology - St. Petersburg State University, Russia (1988) BS/MS: Biology/Biochemistry -Saratov State University, Russia (1983) Phone: 865-974-7687 Fax: 865-974-4007 joulineib@ornl.gov

Keywords:
Signal transduction in prokaryotes; novel computational approaches in genomics

Research Area:
High-throughput and high-resolution computational genomics to study evolution, diversity and molecular mechanisms of signal transduction. Evolution of simple prokaryotic organisms to possess sophisticated molecular detectors and transmitters that adjust most of cellular functions in response to changes in the environment.

Description of Research:

Signal transduction in prokaryotes
We use high-throughput and high-resolution computational genomics to study the evolution, diversity and molecular mechanisms of signal transduction. We are interested in understanding how simple prokaryotic organisms evolved to possess sophisticated molecular detectors and transmitters that adjust most of their cellular functions in response to changes in the environment.

Novel computational approaches in genomics
We are facing a challenge of how to derive biologically relevant information from completely sequenced genomes. There are many computational tools to mine raw genomic data (development of such tools and their application is called bioinformatics). The question is which tools to use to solve a particular problem? We are trying to answer this question for a number of biological problems related to signal transduction.

Selected Publications (of 55):

• • Chain, P.S.G., V.J. Denef, K. Konstantinidis, L.M.Vergez, L. Agullo, V.L.Reyes, L. Hauser, M. Cordova, L. Gomez, M. Gonzalez, M. Land, V. Lao, F. Larimer, J.J. LiPuma, E. Mahenthiralingam, S.A. Malfatti, C.J. Marx, J.J. Parnell, A. Ramette, P. Richardson, M. Seeger, D. Smith, T. Spilker, W.J. Sul, T.V. Tsoi, L.E. Ulrich, I.B. Zhulin, and J.M. Tiedje. 2006. Burkholderia xenovorans LB400 harbors a multi-replicon, 9.73 M bp genome shaped for versatility. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (in press).
  


• Ulrich, L.E. and I.B. Zhulin. 2005. Four-helix bundle: a ubiquitous sensory module in prokaryotic signal transduction. Bioinformatics 21 Suppl 3, iii45-iii48.
  


• Ulrich, L.E., E.V. Koonin and I.B. Zhulin. 2005. One-component systems dominate signal transduction in prokaryotes. Trends Microbiol. 13, 52-56.
  


• Wu, M., Q. Ren, A.S. Durkin, S.C. Daugherty, L.M. Brinkac, R.J. Dodson, R. Madupu, S.A. Sullivan, J.F. Kolonay, W. Nelson, L.J. Tallon, K.M. Jones, L.E. Ulrich, J.M. Gonzalez, I.B. Zhulin, F.T. Robb and J.A. Eisen. 2005. Life in hot carbon monoxide: the complete genome sequence of Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans Z-2901. PLoS Genet. 1, e65.
  


• Shu, C.J., L.E. Ulrich and I.B. Zhulin. 2003. The NIT domain: a predicted nitrate responsive module in bacterial sensory receptors. Trends Biochem. Sci. 28, 121-124.
  


• Perelygin, A.A., S.V. Scherbik, I.B. Zhulin, B.M. Stockman, Y. Li and M.A. Brinton. 2002. Positioning cloning of the murine flavivirus resistance gene. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99, 9322-9327.
  


• Alexandre, G., and I. B. Zhulin. 2000. Laccases are widespread in bacteria. Trends  Biotech. 18, 41-42.
  


• Taylor, B. L., and I. B. Zhulin. 1999. PAS domains: internal sensors of oxygen, redox potential and light. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 63, 479-506.