Taxonomic Features And Comparison Of The Gut Microbiome From Two Edible Fungus-Farming Termites (Macrotermes Falciger, M. Natalensis) Harvested In The Vhembe District Of Limpopo, South Africa,
2019
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Taxonomic Features And Comparison Of The Gut Microbiome From Two Edible Fungus-Farming Termites (Macrotermes Falciger, M. Natalensis) Harvested In The Vhembe District Of Limpopo, South Africa, Stephanie L. Schnorr, Courney A. Hofman, Shandukani R. Netschifhefhe, Frances D. Duncan, Tanvi P. Honap, Julie Lesnik, Cecil M. Lewis
Anthropology Faculty Research
Background Termites are an important food resource for many human populations around the world, and are a good supply of nutrients. The fungus-farming ‘higher’ termite members of Macrotermitinae are also consumed by modern great apes and are implicated as critical dietary resources for early hominins. While the chemical nutritional composition of edible termites is well known, their microbiomes are unexplored in the context of human health. Here we sequenced the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene of gut microbiota extracted from the whole intestinal tract of two Macrotermes sp. soldiers collected from the Limpopo region of South Africa. Results …
A Method For Improving The Accuracy And Efficiency Of Bacteriophage Genome Annotation,
2019
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
A Method For Improving The Accuracy And Efficiency Of Bacteriophage Genome Annotation, Alicia Salisbury, Philippos K. Tsourkas
Life Sciences Faculty Research
Bacteriophages are the most numerous entities on Earth. The number of sequenced phage genomes is approximately 8000 and increasing rapidly. Sequencing of a genome is followed by annotation, where genes, start codons, and functions are putatively identified. The mainstays of phage genome annotation are auto-annotation programs such as Glimmer and GeneMark. Due to the relatively small size of phage genomes, many groups choose to manually curate auto-annotation results to increase accuracy. An additional benefit of manual curation of auto-annotated phage genomes is that the process is amenable to be performed by students, and has been shown to improve student recruitment …
The Spatial Organization Of Mycobacterial Membrane,
2019
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The Spatial Organization Of Mycobacterial Membrane, Julia Puffal
Doctoral Dissertations
Mycobacteria comprises a large group of organisms including the pathogenic species Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis. A fast- growing saprophytic member of this genus, however, Mycobacterium smegmatis, is oftentimes used as a model organism for the pathogenic species. With a unique cell envelope architecture and unconventional polar growth, spatial coordination of cell envelope biosynthesis is vital for proper assembly of this complex structure. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of known lateral heterogeneities in mycobacterial plasma membrane, with a particular focus on the intracellular membrane domain (IMD), a spatially distinct region of the plasma membrane with diverse functions. …
Infection Potential Of Rickettsia Felis Via Ingestion,
2019
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
Infection Potential Of Rickettsia Felis Via Ingestion, Matthew M. Schexnayder
LSU Master's Theses
Rickettsia felis is the etiologic agent of flea-borne spotted fever (FBSF) in humans and a poorly described cause of fever in animals. It is transmitted by its primary arthropod vector and reservoir host, the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis. Known routes of Rickettsia felis transmission between Rickettsia felis-infected cat fleas and vertebrate hosts include cutaneous bites and contamination of cutaneous wounds with infective flea feces. The bulk of FBSF infections occur in young children in Africa, though infections of people at all ages all over the world have been confirmed. As mammals and young children frequently come into contact …
Molecular Detection Of Pathogenic Leptospira Throughout The Caribbean,
2019
Georgia College
Molecular Detection Of Pathogenic Leptospira Throughout The Caribbean, Zamara R. Garcia Truitt
Biology Theses
Leptospirosis is a common widespread zoonotic disease found throughout the Caribbean. The infection is produced by a pathogenic Leptospira species found in tropical and subtropical regions. The severity of the disease ranges from a mild asymptomatic infection to death. Leptospirosis is a neglected tropical disease due to the lack of public awareness and health approaches. Therefore, misdiagnosis is common because the symptoms are similar to that of other tropical endemic diseases. The aim of the study was to determine the presence of pathogenic Leptospira in water samples collected from Puerto Rico and Trinidad. Sixty-four environmental water samples were collected throughout …
A Rapid Viability And Drug‑Susceptibility Assay Utilizing Mycobacteriophage As An Indicator Of Drug Susceptibilities Of Anti‑Tb Drugs Against Mycobacterium Smegmatis Mc2 155,
2019
Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland
A Rapid Viability And Drug‑Susceptibility Assay Utilizing Mycobacteriophage As An Indicator Of Drug Susceptibilities Of Anti‑Tb Drugs Against Mycobacterium Smegmatis Mc2 155, Gillian Catherine Crowley, Jim O'Mahony, Aidan Coffey, Riona G. Sayers, Paul D. Cotter
Department of Biological Sciences Publications
Background: A rapid in-house TM4 mycobacteriophage-based assay, to identify multidrug resistance against various anti-tuberculosis drugs, using the fast-growing Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2 155 in a microtiter plate format was evaluated, based on phage viability assays. Methods: A variety of parameters were optimized before the study including the minimum incubation time for the drugs, phage and M. smegmatis mc2 155 to be in contact. An increase in phage numbers over 2 h was indicative that M. smegmatis mc2 155 is resistant to the drugs under investigation, however when phage numbers remained static, M. smegmatis mc2 155 found to …
Culture-Based Analysis Of ‘Cave Silver’ Biofilms On Rocks In The Former Homestake Mine In South Dakota, Usa,
2019
Florida State University
Culture-Based Analysis Of ‘Cave Silver’ Biofilms On Rocks In The Former Homestake Mine In South Dakota, Usa, Amanpreet K. Brar, David Bergmann
International Journal of Speleology
Tunnels in a warm, humid area of the 1478 m level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), located in a former gold mine in South Dakota, USA, host irregular, thin whitish, iridescent biofilms, which appear superficially similar to ‘cave silver’ biofilms described from limestone and lava tube caves, despite the higher rock temperature (32°C) and differing rock surface (phyllite) present at SURF. In this study, we investigated the diversity of cultivable bacteria constituting the cave silver by using several media: CN agar, CN gellan gum and 0.1X R2A agar. The highest colony count (CFU/g of sample) was observed on …
The Anti-Sigma Factor Muca Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: Dramatic Differences Of A Muca22 Vs. A Δmuca Mutant In Anaerobic Acidified Nitrite Sensitivity Of Planktonic And Biofilm Bacteria In Vitro And During Chronic Murine Lung Infection,
2019
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
The Anti-Sigma Factor Muca Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: Dramatic Differences Of A Muca22 Vs. A Δmuca Mutant In Anaerobic Acidified Nitrite Sensitivity Of Planktonic And Biofilm Bacteria In Vitro And During Chronic Murine Lung Infection, Warunya Panmanee, Shengchang Su, Michael J. Schurr, Gee W. Lau, Xiaoting Zhu, Zhaowei Ren, Cameron T. Mcdaniel, Long J. Lu, Dennis E. Ohman, Daniel A. Muruve, Ralph J. Panos, Hongwei D. Yu, Thomas B. Thompson, Boo Shan Tseng, Daniel J. Hassett
Life Sciences Faculty Research
Mucoid mucA22 Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is an opportunistic lung pathogen of cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients that is highly sensitive to acidified nitrite (A-NO2-). In this study, we first screened PA mutant strains for sensitivity or resistance to 20 mM A-NO2- under anaerobic conditions that represent the chronic stages of the aforementioned diseases. Mutants found to be sensitive to A-NO2- included PA0964 (pmpR, PQS biosynthesis), PA4455 (probable ABC transporter permease), katA (major catalase, KatA) and rhlR (quorum sensing regulator). In contrast, mutants lacking PA0450 (a putative phosphate transporter) and PA1505 (moaA2) were A-NO2- resistant. However, …
Characterization Of Bacterial Isolates Obtained From Commercial Poultry Feed And Retail Food Using Whole Genome Sequence Analysis And Selected Biochemical Tests,
2019
Pittsburg State University
Characterization Of Bacterial Isolates Obtained From Commercial Poultry Feed And Retail Food Using Whole Genome Sequence Analysis And Selected Biochemical Tests, Elena George Olson
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
The goals of this study is two-fold. The first part investigates bacterial isolates from commercial poultry feed and the second part deals with bacterial isolates recovered from retail food. In order to reduce pathogen contamination in poultry products identification of overall microbial populations in poultry production processing steps have always been considered an important monitoring tool for assessing sanitizer effectiveness and the corresponding responses of bacteria load levels on poultry carcasses. Bacterial isolates recovered from corn-based chicken feed were purified on aerobic plate count agar and eleven morphologically different colonies were selected for whole genome sequencing. In this part, the …
The Importance Of Rnd-Type Efflux Pumps In The Interactions Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa With 4-Methoxybenzaldehyde,
2019
University of Southern Mississippi
The Importance Of Rnd-Type Efflux Pumps In The Interactions Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa With 4-Methoxybenzaldehyde, Sanchirmaa Namjilsuren
Honors Theses
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common hospital-acquired pathogen and is often associated with high mortality rates due to the development of multidrug-resistance. Antimicrobial plant-derived (phyto-) aldehydes present a promising alternative to antibiotics due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and low propensity to trigger resistance. However, two main problems preclude the widespread application of these compounds: chemical instability and low antimicrobial efficacy. The ongoing collaboration between the Mavrodi and Patton labs at USM has recently addressed the problem of chemical instability by incorporating plant aldehydes into polymer materials called Pro-Antimicrobial Networks via Degradable Acetals (PANDAs). Thus, this study aimed to address the …
The Impact Of Oxygen On The Intracellular Survival Of Listeria Monocytogenes,
2019
University of Southern Mississippi
The Impact Of Oxygen On The Intracellular Survival Of Listeria Monocytogenes, Amber N. Coats
Honors Theses
Listeria monocytogenes is an intracellular pathogen that is responsible for the foodborne disease listeriosis. In order to invade host cells and establish an infection, this pathogen must travel through the gastrointestinal tract where it is exposed to a variety of stressors, including low pH, bile, and variations in oxygen concentrations. These stressors necessitate this organism’s ability to sense and respond to its environment. Previous research has shown that bacteria use two-component systems to sense and regulate genes needed for improved survival in stressful environmental conditions. The goal of this study was to determine if the expression of the putative oxygen …
The Chelation Of Metal Ions By Vicibactin, A Siderophore Produced By Rhizobium Leguminosarum Atcc 14479,
2019
East Tennessee State University
The Chelation Of Metal Ions By Vicibactin, A Siderophore Produced By Rhizobium Leguminosarum Atcc 14479, Joshua Stinnett
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Vicibactin is a small, high-affinity iron chelator produced by Rhizobium leguminosarum ATCC 14479. Previous work has shown that vicibactin is produced and secreted from the cell to sequester ferric iron from the environment during iron-deplete conditions. This ferric iron is then transported into the cell to be converted into ferrous iron. This study uses UV-Vis spectroscopy as well as ion trap-time of flight mass spectroscopy to determine that vicibactin does form a complex with copper(II) ions, however, at a much lower affinity than for iron(III). Stability tests have shown that the copper(II)-vicibactin complex is stable over time. The results of …
The Q Rule In Bacteriodetes And The Identification And Characterization Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis Glutaminyl Cyclase.,
2019
University of Louisville
The Q Rule In Bacteriodetes And The Identification And Characterization Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis Glutaminyl Cyclase., John Andrew Houston
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Background: Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major pathogen associated with chronic periodontitis, secretes variety of proteins, majority of which begins with glutamine. Several of these proteins were found with pyroglutamate (pGlu) at N-terminus suggesting the presence of this posttranslational modification pathway in P.gingivalis. The observation that N-terminal glutamine is over-represented as the first amino acid after signal peptide cleavage, and subsequent confirmation of pGlu formation on the nascent protein via mass spectrometry, led us to conclude that an enzyme must be present as the executor of this reaction. Hypothesis: PG2157 is a glutaminyl cyclase and is responsible for the cyclization of …
Uptake And Persistence Of Bacterial Magnetite Magnetosomes In A Mammalian Cell Line: Implications For Medical And Biotechnological Applications.,
2019
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Uptake And Persistence Of Bacterial Magnetite Magnetosomes In A Mammalian Cell Line: Implications For Medical And Biotechnological Applications., Jefferson Cypriano, Jacques Werckmann, Gabriele Vargas, Adrana Lopes Dos Santos, Karen T. Silva, Pedro Leao, Fernando P. Almeida, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Marcos Farina, Ulysses Lins, Fernanda Abreu
Life Sciences Faculty Research
Magnetotactic bacteria biomineralize intracellular magnetic nanocrystals surrounded by a lipid bilayer called magnetosomes. Due to their unique characteristics, magnetite magnetosomes are promising tools in Biomedicine. However, the uptake, persistence, and accumulation of magnetosomes within mammalian cells have not been well studied. Here, the endocytic pathway of magnetite magnetosomes and their effects on human cervix epithelial (HeLa) cells were studied by electron microscopy and high spatial resolution nano-analysis techniques. Transmission electron microscopy of HeLa cells after incubation with purified magnetosomes showed the presence of magnetic nanoparticles inside or outside endosomes within the cell, which suggests different modes of internalization, and that …
The Effects Of A Bacterial Endotoxin On Behavior And Sensory-Cns-Motor Circuits In Drosophila Melanogaster,
2019
University of Kentucky
The Effects Of A Bacterial Endotoxin On Behavior And Sensory-Cns-Motor Circuits In Drosophila Melanogaster, Oscar Istas, Abigail Greenhalgh, Robin L. Cooper
Biology Faculty Publications
The effect of bacterial sepsis on animal behavior and physiology is complex due to direct and indirect actions. The most common form of bacterial sepsis in humans is from gram-negative bacterial strains. The endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) and/or associated peptidoglycans from the bacteria are the key agents to induce an immune response, which then produces a cascade of immunological consequences. However, there are direct actions of LPS and associated peptidoglycans on cells which are commonly overlooked. This study showed behavioral and neural changes in larval Drosophila fed commercially obtained LPS from Serratia marcescens. Locomotor behavior was not altered, but feeding …
Iron-Containing Nanoparticles For The Treatment Of Chrionic Biofilm Infections In Cystic Fibrosis,
2019
University of New Mexico - Main Campus
Iron-Containing Nanoparticles For The Treatment Of Chrionic Biofilm Infections In Cystic Fibrosis, Leisha M. A. Martin
Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common genetic disease resulting in the morbidity and mortality of Caucasian children and adults worldwide. Due to a genetic mutation resulting in malfunction of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein, CF patients produce highly viscous mucus in their respiratory tract. This leads to impairment of the mucociliary clearance of inhaled microbes. In addition to reduced microbial clearance, anoxic environmental conditions in the lungs promote biofilm-mode growth of the pathogenic bacterial species Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Chronic infections of P. aeruginosa begin in early childhood and typically persist until respiratory failure and death result. The …
Co-Occurrence Of Manganese Oxidase Genes Indicates Lateral Transfer Between Classes Of Proteobacteria,
2019
University of Lynchburg
Co-Occurrence Of Manganese Oxidase Genes Indicates Lateral Transfer Between Classes Of Proteobacteria, Jacob Olichney
Student Scholar Showcase
Pseudomonas putida GB-1 is a model organism for the study of manganese oxidation in bacteria, however, the frequency of co-localization of multiple known and suspected manganese oxidizing proteins, as well as their occurrence between species, is unknown. Eight different genes isolated from known manganese oxidizing bacteria (MnxG, MopA, McoA, PputGB1_2552, PputGB1_2553, MoxA, MofA, and Bacillus MnxG) were tested individually using BioPython and BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) on multiple genomic databases. BLAST searches had an expect value cutoff of 1e-50, limiting gene homologs to those with high sequence similarity. The abundance of homologous genes across classes of proteobacteria point …
Symbiosis In Archaea: Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity Of Marine And Terrestrial Nanoarchaeota And Their Hosts,
2019
Portland State University
Symbiosis In Archaea: Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity Of Marine And Terrestrial Nanoarchaeota And Their Hosts, Emily Joyce St. John
Dissertations and Theses
The Nanoarchaeota are an enigmatic lineage of Archaea found in deep-sea hydrothermal vents and geothermal springs across the globe. These small (~100-400 nm) hyperthermophiles live ectosymbiotically with diverse hosts from the Crenarchaeota. Despite their broad distribution in high-temperature environments, very few Nanoarchaeota have been successfully isolated in co-culture with their hosts and nanoarchaeote genomes are poorly represented in public databases. However, the Nanoarchaeota provide unique insights into the structure and function of symbiosis in the archaeal domain. This study describes novel nanoarchaeotes from multiple geothermal habitats, using a combination of direct cultivation techniques and genomic analysis. A new nanoarchaeote …
Establishment Of Listeria Monocytogenes In The Gastrointestinal Tract,
2019
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Establishment Of Listeria Monocytogenes In The Gastrointestinal Tract, Morgan L. Davis, Steven C. Ricke, Janet R. Donaldson
Faculty Publications
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram positive foodborne pathogen that can colonize the gastrointestinal tract of a number of hosts, including humans. These environments contain numerous stressors such as bile, low oxygen and acidic pH, which may impact the level of colonization and persistence of this organism within the GI tract. The ability of L. monocytogenes to establish infections and colonize the gastrointestinal tract is directly related to its ability to overcome these stressors, which is mediated by the efficient expression of several stress response mechanisms during its passage. This review will focus upon how and when this occurs and how …
The Group A Streptococci Bacteriocins Facilitate A Competitive Advantage During Nasopharyngeal Infection,
2019
The University of Western Ontario
The Group A Streptococci Bacteriocins Facilitate A Competitive Advantage During Nasopharyngeal Infection, Lana Estafanos
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Pathogenic streptococci have evolved specific systems to eliminate bacterial competitors within their biological niche. In microbial environments, niche competition is often driven by the production of short antimicrobial peptides called bacteriocins; this provides a mechanism by which Streptococcus pyogenes may compete for ecological stability and establish infection. Recent findings from our laboratory have identified two novel Class IIb bacteriocin systems – Streptococcus pyogenes bacteriocin (Spb) JK and MN in the M18 serotype S. pyogenes strain MGAS8232 – that may contribute to nasopharyngeal infection. Here, we show that galactose and CO2 are distinct regulatory cues which induce antimicrobial activity. Under …
