Mark J. McBride Professor B.S., Univ. of Rochester 1980 Ph.D., Univ. of Wisconsin 1987 Postdoctoral Fellow Univ. of California-Berkeley 1991	Office: Lapham N307 Phone: 414-229-5844 FAX: 414-229-3926 Email: mcbride@uwm.edu Electronic Reserve Materials:
Microbiology/Molecular Biology

Research Interests

The molecular mechanism by which swimming bacteria are propelled through liquid media by rotating flagella is understood relatively well. Gliding motility (movement of cells over surfaces without the aid of flagella) is a trait common to many bacteria, yet the mechanisms responsible for gliding motility are poorly understood. My lab uses the techniques of genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and microscopy to determine the mechanism of Flavobacterium johnsoniae gliding motility. We developed techniques to allow genetic manipulation of this organism, and have used these techniques to isolate nonmotile mutants and to identify the genes that are altered in these mutants. Thus far we have identified 11 genes that are involved in gliding motility, and we anticipate identifying the remaining motility genes in the next few years. These genes code for proteins that make up the gliding motility apparatus ('motor') that propels the cells. We use antibodies raised against these proteins to localize the components of the motor, determine how they interact, and visualize the gliding motility apparatus in cells. Based on our results we have developed a speculative model for flavobacterial gliding which relies on multiple transporters that export and import macromolecules at different sites on the cell surface resulting in the formation of 'conveyor belts' that propel the cells. In addition to studies on gliding motility, we are also investigating other aspects of the biology of gliding bacteria. These bacteria are very abundant in many environments and some species have characteristics other than gliding motility that make them important organisms to study. Some are pathogens of animals or humans, others play critical roles in biodegradation of complex biomolecules, and others produce antibiotics and antitumor compounds. Examples of applied projects include studies of chitin degradation by F. johnsoniae, studies of cellulose degradation by Cytophaga hutchinsonii, and development of genetic techniques for the fish pathogen Flavobacterium psychrophilum.

Selected Publications

J. Liu, M. J. McBride, and S. Subramaniam. 2007. Cell-surface filaments of the gliding bacterium Flavobacterium johnsoniae revealed by cryo-electron tomography. J. Bacteriol. 189:7503-7506. http://jb.asm.org/cgi/content/short/189/20/7503 S. S. Nelson, P. P. Glocka, S. Agarwal, D. P. Grimm, and M. J. McBride. 2007. Flavobacterium johnsoniae SprA is a cell-surface protein involved in gliding motility. J. Bacteriol. 189:7145-7150. http://jb.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/189/19/7145 G. Xie, D. C. Bruce, J. F. Challacombe, O. Chertkov, J. C. Detter, P. Gilna, C. S. Han, S. Lucas, M. Misra, G. L. Myers, P. Richardson, R. Tapia, N. Thayer, L. S. Thompson, T. S. Brettin, B. Henrissat, D. B. Wilson, and M. J. McBride. 2007. Genome sequence of the cellulolytic gliding bacterium Cytophaga hutchinsonii. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 3536-3546. http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/73/11/3536 B. Alvarez, P. Secades, M. Prieto, M. J. McBride, and J. A. Guijarro. 2006. A mutation in Flavobacterium psychrophilum tlpB inhibits gliding motility and induces biofilm formation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72:4044-4053. http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/72/6/4044 S. S. Nelson and M. J. McBride. 2006. Mutations in Flavobacterium johnsoniae secDF result in defects in gliding motility and chitin utilization. J. Bacteriol. 188:348-351. http://jb.asm.org/cgi/content/full/188/1/348 T. F. Braun, M. K. Khubbar, D. A. Saffarini and M. J. McBride. 2005. Flavobacterium johnsoniae gliding motility genes identified by mariner mutagenesis. J. Bacteriol. 187: 6943-6952. http://jb.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/187/20/6943 T. F. Braun and M. J. McBride. 2005. Flavobacterium johnsoniae GldJ is a lipoprotein that is required for gliding motility. J. Bacteriol. 187:2628-2637. http://jb.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/187/8/2628 M. J. McBride. 2004. Cytophaga-Flavobacterium gliding motility. J. Mol. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 7:63-71. M. J. McBride and T. F. Braun. 2004. GldI is a lipoprotein that is required for Flavobacterium johnsoniae gliding motility and chitin utilization. J. Bacteriol. 186:2295-2302. Abstract Alvarez, B., P. Secades, M. J. McBride, and J. A. Guijarro. 2004. Development of genetic techniques for the psychrotrophic fish pathogen Flavobacterium psychrophilum. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70:581-587. Abstract McBride, M. J., T. F. Braun, and J. L. Brust. 2003. Flavobacterium johnsoniae GldH is a lipoprotein that is required for gliding motility and chitin utilization. J. Bacteriol. 185:6648-6657. Abstract Hunnicutt, D. W., M. J. Kempf, and M. J. McBride. 2002. Mutations in Flavobacterium johnsoniae gldF and gldG disrupt gliding motility and interfere with membrane localization of GldA. J. Bacteriol. 184:2370-2378. Online Reprint McBride, M. J. 2001. Bacterial Gliding Motility: Multiple mechanisms for cell movement over surfaces. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 55:49-75. Abstract Hunnicutt, D. W. and M. J. McBride. 2001. Cloning and characterization of the Flavobacterium johnsoniae gliding motility genes, gldD and gldE. J. Bacteriol. 183:4167-4175. Online Reprint Kempf, M. J. and M. J. McBride. 2000. Transposon insertions in the Flavobacterium johnsoniae ftsX gene disrupt gliding motility and cell division. J. Bacteriol. 182:1671-1679. Online Reprint Hunnicutt, D. W. and M. J. McBride. 2000. Cloning and characterization of the Flavobacterium johnsoniae gliding motility genes, gldB and gldC. J. Bacteriol. 182:911-918. Online Reprint Agarwal, S., Hunnicutt, D. W., and M. J. McBride. 1997. Cloning and characterization of the Flavobacterium johnsoniae (Cytophaga johnsonae) gliding motility gene, gldA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 94:12139-12144. Online Reprint McBride, M. J. and S. A. Baker. 1996. Development of techniques to genetically manipulate members of the genera Cytophaga, Flavobacterium,Flexibacter and Sporocytophaga. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 62:3017-3022. Online Reprint McBride, M. J. and M. J. Kempf. 1996. Development of techniques for the genetic manipulation of the gliding bacterium Cytophaga johnsonae. J. Bacteriol. 178:583-590. Online Reprint