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Premature Rho-Dependent Transcription Termination In Escherichia Coli : Link To Translation And Gene Regulation, Gabriele Baniulyte Jan 2019

Premature Rho-Dependent Transcription Termination In Escherichia Coli : Link To Translation And Gene Regulation, Gabriele Baniulyte

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Transcription termination factor Rho is an essential protein in Escherichia coli and related bacteria. The primary function of Rho is to clear unproductive RNA polymerases from the DNA template to minimize negative effects associated with uncontrolled transcription. Although most of the Rho termination events are constitutive, premature Rho-mediated termination was observed at 3% of all affected transcripts indicating active regulation of Rho activity. In this work, we investigated the regulatory mechanism behind premature Rho-dependent transcription termination in two unrelated genes: suhB and topAI. We show that in both cases transcription is terminated inside the coding gene as a consequence of …


Contrasting Roles Rna Binding Proteins G3bp1 And Hur Influence Zika Virus And A Proposed Mechanism By Which Zika Virus Induces Neurological Complications, Gaston Bonenfant Jan 2019

Contrasting Roles Rna Binding Proteins G3bp1 And Hur Influence Zika Virus And A Proposed Mechanism By Which Zika Virus Induces Neurological Complications, Gaston Bonenfant

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Globalization and climate change have contributed to the rampant spread of mosquitos from tropical and subtropical climates into more moderate climates, and thus also the spread of a number of vector-borne viruses. As of 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that of all human infections world-wide, 16% result from vectors such as flies, ticks, and mosquitos. The spread of such viruses has encouraged expedient evolutionary pressures resulting in more pathogenic viruses that continually pose a serious threat to public health. First discovered in 1947, Zika virus (ZIKV) has only recently presented as a detriment to public health. The importance …


Post-Translational Modifications And Functional Studies Of Dksa In Escherichia Coli, Andrew Charles Isidoridy Jan 2019

Post-Translational Modifications And Functional Studies Of Dksa In Escherichia Coli, Andrew Charles Isidoridy

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

DksA is a bacterial gene regulator that functions synergistically with the stress alarmone ppGpp to mediate the stringent response. DksA also functions independently of ppGpp to regulate transcription of a number of genes. DksA function is dependent on its binding affinity to RNA polymerase and requires specific interactions between RNAP and catalytic amino acids located on the coiled coil tip, D74 and A76. While much of the previous work on DksA has focused on understanding the mechanisms of action and the numerous gene targets for transcriptional regulation, little is known about the mechanisms by which DksA expression and function may …


Transcriptional Regulation Of Dksa In E. Coli, Daniel Thomas Woods Jan 2019

Transcriptional Regulation Of Dksa In E. Coli, Daniel Thomas Woods

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

DksA is a global transcription factor that binds RNAP directly to regulate the expression of many genes and operons, including ribosomal RNA, in a ppGpp-dependent or ppGpp–independent manner. It is also involved in facilitating the process of DNA replication by removing stalled transcription elongation complexes that could block the progress of the replication fork. In addition, DksA is important for colonization, establishment of biofilms, and pathogenesis. In order to sustain these various functions, an adequate level of cellular DksA is required. This work tested the hypothesis that the E. coli dksA is substantially regulated at the level of transcription. Using …