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The Role Of The Pseudomonas Aeruginosa 1244 Pilin Glycan In Virulence, Jennifer Roguskie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The pili of P. aeruginosa 1244 are involved in a post-translational modification in which an acidic carbohydrate moiety structurally similar to the lipopolysaccahride (LPS) O-antigen is covalently attached to the pilin protein. It has been shown that this associated glycan is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the pilus. Because of its prime location along the pilus, experiments were conducted to determine if the pilin glycan contributed to the virulence of P. aeruginosa. Initial studies involved the assessment of LD50 values to demonstrate that acquisition of the exoU gene increased the virulence of PA1244. Interestingly, the LD50 studies suggested …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa 1244 Piliation: Environmental Signals And Regulation, Dana Furst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa 1244 pili on the bacterial surface is dependent upon the growth environment. Quantitative western immunoblot analysis showed that an agar plate promoted surface expression of pili, whereas bacterial cells grown in liquid broth lacked similar appendages. Hyperexpression of the pilA gene increased piliation in broth cells but not to the extent of plate cells. Real-time RT-PCR indicated that the pilA gene has the potential to be regulated posttranscriptionally, regardless of the growth environment.

The P. aeruginosa 1244 pilin glycan and lipopolysaccharide O-antigen are synthesized via the same biosynthetic pathway. Rabbits immunized with LPS-free pili produced …