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Interrogating Antagonistic Differences Among Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Cdia Alleles, Haotian Yang
Interrogating Antagonistic Differences Among Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Cdia Alleles, Haotian Yang
Master's Theses
Bacteria are complex social organisms that live within mixed communities where microorganisms compete for limited resources. We studied Contact-Dependent Growth Inhibition (CDI), a particular type of competition mediated by a type 5b, or two-partner, secretion system that is widely spread among Gram-negative bacteria. CdiB and CdiA make up the two-partner secretion system that mediates CDI. CdiB translocates CdiA to the cell surface, and CdiA delivers its C-terminal toxin domain to the target cell. The C-terminal toxin (Tox) domain of CdiA is highly diverse. We studied Tox domains of various Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates. We found different strains that contain unique …
Role Of Tetraspanins In Sars-Cov-2 Fusion And Entry, Marcos Saul Santiago Figueroa
Role Of Tetraspanins In Sars-Cov-2 Fusion And Entry, Marcos Saul Santiago Figueroa
Master's Theses
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the pandemic the world has been facing in recent years. Even as new countermeasures are developed, there is still much we don’t know in terms of its entry into host cells. Tetraspanins are transmembrane proteins that are near ubiquitous amongst cell types. They fulfill numerous roles, including that of a viral co-receptor. Here, we considered whether tetraspanins, specifically CD9, CD63, and CD81 influence SARS-CoV-2 fusion and entry. Using ACE2-LgBit and tetraspanin overexpressing EVs and HeLa cells, we find that the presence of excess tetraspanins inhibit fusion and entry. However, we …
Calcium-Mediated Induction Of Vibrio Fischeri Es114 Biofilms, Katia Elizabeth Semenchuk
Calcium-Mediated Induction Of Vibrio Fischeri Es114 Biofilms, Katia Elizabeth Semenchuk
Master's Theses
Vibrio fischeri bacteria form biofilms that facilitate symbiotic colonization of the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes. These host-associated biofilms require production of the SYP polysaccharide. However, it has been difficult to observe robust biofilm formation in vitro in a laboratory setting using wild-type strain ES114; instead, most work investigating syp-dependent biofilm formation has relied on genetically altered strains. Guided by recent findings that increasing calcium induces c-di-GMP (Tischler et al., 2021), a molecule known in other systems to promote biofilm formation, the question was posed as to whether high levels of calcium alone could promote syp-dependent biofilm formation by ES114. …
Bisacodyl Limits Chikungunya Virus In Vitro And Is Broadly Antiviral, Natalie June Lomascolo
Bisacodyl Limits Chikungunya Virus In Vitro And Is Broadly Antiviral, Natalie June Lomascolo
Master's Theses
Identifying novel antivirals requires significant time and resource investment, and the continuous threat of viruses to human health necessitates commitment to antiviral identification and development. Developing antivirals requires years of research and validation, and recent outbreaks have highlighted the need for preparedness in counteracting pandemics. One way to facilitate development is to repurpose molecules already used clinically. By screening such compounds, we can accelerate antiviral development. Here, we screened compounds from the National Institutes of Health’s Developmental Therapeutic Program for activity against chikungunya virus, an alphavirus that is responsible for a significant outbreak in the Americas in 2013. Using this …
Investigating The Role Of Nagc Reveals It To Be A Global Regulator, Natasha Peterson
Investigating The Role Of Nagc Reveals It To Be A Global Regulator, Natasha Peterson
Master's Theses
Bacterial colonization of host surfaces can result in symbiotic or pathogenic associations.As bacteria becomes more resistant to antibiotics, pathogenic bacterial colonization poses an increasing risk to human health. Symbiotic associations that have beneficial outcomes for both the host and the microbe can serve as models to investigate how bacterial processes affect colonization of host surfaces. The symbiotic relationship between the Gram-negative, bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the Hawaiian bobtail squid is one such model (E. V. Stabb & Visick, 2013). The study of this exclusive relationship has developed in a way where in vitro phenotypes can predict the ability of …