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Full-Text Articles in Pathogenic Microbiology

Managing Stress: A Study Of Stress Response Mechanisms In Mycobacteria, Augusto C. Hunt Serracin Jan 2024

Managing Stress: A Study Of Stress Response Mechanisms In Mycobacteria, Augusto C. Hunt Serracin

Biology Dissertations

Mycobacteria encompass many pathogenic species known to cause severe disease in humans. A well-known example is Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of the lung disease tuberculosis, which kills millions of humans worldwide yearly. Pathogenic mycobacteria like Mtb are challenging to treat because of their innate ability to adapt to environmental stress. Their unique cell physiology and conserved stress responses allow them to combat biological insults, regulate growth, and regulate genes involved in stress; all these responses increase tolerance to antibiotics. The current therapies to treat mycobacterial infections are lengthy and, at times, unsuccessful, partly due to antibiotic tolerance. A …


Flippase Inhibitors As Antimicrobial Agents, Robert Tancer May 2022

Flippase Inhibitors As Antimicrobial Agents, Robert Tancer

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Drug resistant microbes are a considerable challenge for modern medicine to overcome. The research described in this dissertation involved development of lipid flippase inhibitors and investigating their potential as antimicrobial agents against various drug resistant microbes. The microbes primarily investigated were methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) & Cryptococcus neoformans. Chapter 1 reviews the historical perspective and summarizes the current state of the field of research. In Chapter 2, the design space of an antimicrobial peptide known as humimycin was explored and the effects of modifications on its structure were observed against MRSA. Several key observations resulted. Most notably, the …


Isolation, Analysis, And Partial Characterization Of An Inhibitor Of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, Natania Paul May 2019

Isolation, Analysis, And Partial Characterization Of An Inhibitor Of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, Natania Paul

Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is an emerging threat of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains that are resistant to all antibiotics. Because of this, the purpose of this research is to isolate, analyze, and partially characterize a new inhibitor(s) of N. gonorrhoeae. Since there is an unknown molecule secreted by Candida albicans that inhibits N. gonorrhoeae, this molecule can be partially characterized using 1H NMR Spectroscopy to assist in the development of a new antibiotic compound. It was hypothesized that quorum-sensing molecules, trans, trans- farnesol, tyrosol, phenylethyl alcohol, and tryptophol, could be possible candidates for the inhibitor. Because of this, 1H …


Exploring The Mechanisms Of Action Of Antifungal Peptides Using Saccharomyces Cerevisiae., Michelle L. Mason May 2016

Exploring The Mechanisms Of Action Of Antifungal Peptides Using Saccharomyces Cerevisiae., Michelle L. Mason

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Candida albicans is a normal inhabitant of the skin and mucosal membranes of humans, however, in individuals with depressed immune systems or disrupted cutaneous flora, Candida can overgrow and cause serious infection. Candida infection is the fourth leading cause of nosocomial infection in the United States. These infections are often associated with longer hospital stays and higher mortality. Current drug therapies for this infection are largely ineffective due to the increased drug resistance of Candida species, and for some therapeutics, high levels of drug toxicity to humans. Histatin 5 is a naturally occurring salivary peptide that has strong antifungal properties. …


Effect Of Magnesium On The Production Of Scna And Scnr By Streptococcus Pyogenes, Strain Ff22, Laura E. Quinn Apr 2001

Effect Of Magnesium On The Production Of Scna And Scnr By Streptococcus Pyogenes, Strain Ff22, Laura E. Quinn

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The lantibiotic SA-FF22, produced by Streptococcus pyogenes strain FF22, was the first described antimicrobial peptide produced by a Streptococcus species. S. pyogenes is a group A Streptococcus responsible for such human illness as strep-throat, rheumatic fever, necrotizing fasciitis, endocarditis, and meningitis. Previous studies of SA-FF22 have shown that antimicrobial activity is lost in the presence of lmM magnesium. We hypothesize that the lack of SA-FF22 activity in the presence of magnesium is due to an absence of transcription of scnA, the gene encoding SA-FF22. The lack of transcriptional activation of scnA may be due to an absence of ScnR, a …