Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Microbiology Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

Full-Text Articles in Microbiology

Examining The Function Of Protein Acyltransferase Via The Dhhc Domain Of The Paz5 Protein In The Organism Dictyostelium Discoideum, George M. Stuart-Ranchev Dec 2020

Examining The Function Of Protein Acyltransferase Via The Dhhc Domain Of The Paz5 Protein In The Organism Dictyostelium Discoideum, George M. Stuart-Ranchev

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Protein S-palmitoylation plays a crucial role in many biological systems. S-palmitoylation involves the post-translational attachment of palmitate to a cysteine residue through a reversible thioester linkage. S-Palmitoylation is used to modify both integral and membrane proteins, many of which are involved in intracellular trafficking, membrane localization, and signal transduction pathways. Intracellular palmitoylation is mediated by a family of protein acyltransferases (PATs). PAT mutations are associated with neurological diseases and cancer progression. Proteins in the PAT family are defined by the presence of a 51-amino acid cysteine-rich domain (CRD), which contains a highly conserved aspartate-histidine-histidine-cysteine (DHHC) motif. The …


The Potential For Dickeya Dianthicola To Be Vectored By Two Common Insect Pests Of Potatoes, Jonas K. Insinga Dec 2019

The Potential For Dickeya Dianthicola To Be Vectored By Two Common Insect Pests Of Potatoes, Jonas K. Insinga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dickeya dianthicola (Samson) causing blackleg and soft rot was first detected in potatoes grown in Maine in 2014. Previous work has suggested that insects, particularly aphids, may be able to vector bacteria in this genus between plants, but no conclusive work has been done to confirm this theory. In order to determine whether insect-mediated transmission is likely to occur in potato fields, two model potato pests common in Maine were used: the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decimlineata Say) and the green peach aphids (Myzus persicae Sulzer). Olfactometry and recruitment experiments evaluated if either insect discriminates between infected and …


Identification Of Tnfaip8l1 Binding Partners Through Co-Immunoprecipitation And Mass Spectrometry, Audrey Hoyle May 2018

Identification Of Tnfaip8l1 Binding Partners Through Co-Immunoprecipitation And Mass Spectrometry, Audrey Hoyle

Honors College

The expanded understanding of the gene families and mechanisms governing tumorigenesis pathways has enormous potential for improving current cancer therapies and patient prognoses. One such gene family that participates in the regulation of tumorigenesis is the tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) gene family, which is comprised of four members: TNFAIP8, TNFAIP8L1, TNFAIP8L2, and TNFAIP8L3. The TNFAIP8L1 gene is thought to function as a tumor suppressor, but the mechanisms by which it exerts this function have yet to be elucidated. We hypothesize that the TNFAIP8L1 protein acts as a tumor suppressor through protein-protein …


Determining The Role Of Saly In Streptococcus Pyogenes Immune Evasion Using Fluorescence Microscopy, Taaniel Kiidli May 2018

Determining The Role Of Saly In Streptococcus Pyogenes Immune Evasion Using Fluorescence Microscopy, Taaniel Kiidli

Honors College

Streptococcus pyogenes, the etiologic agent for several life-threatening invasive diseases, utilizes numerous mechanisms to evade the host immune response and establish a successful infection causing a significant source of morbidity and mortality risks for patients. The bacterium is known to cause necrotizing fasciitis in both humans and zebrafish, with extensive necrotic damage to tissues but surprisingly lacking in an inflammatory response for a systemic infection. This suggests that the recruitment of inflammatory cells to the site of infection is inhibited. To observe this in real-time, we used the zebrafish model of Streptococcal pathogenesis to analyze immune cell recruitment in …


Evolutionary And Molecular Analysis Of Conserved Vertebrate Immunity To Fungi, Erin Carter May 2013

Evolutionary And Molecular Analysis Of Conserved Vertebrate Immunity To Fungi, Erin Carter

Honors College

The innate immune system is highly conserved amongst all multicellular organisms. Yet a constant battle exists between host cells and pathogens due to the rapid evolution of immune system components. Functional genomics and in silico methods can be employed to elucidate the evolutionary patterns of vertebrate immunity to pathogenic fungi such as Candida albicans, an opportunistic fungal pathogen that can cause lethal candidiasis in the immunocompromised. Mammals such as humans and mice possess conserved C-type lectin receptors that recognize the C. albicans cell wall. However, these receptors have not been identified in fish. Here I describe how we identified potential …