Microbiology Commons^™

Insights To Protein Pathogenicity From The Lens Of Protein Evolution, Janelle Nunez-Castilla

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As protein sequences evolve, differences in selective constraints may lead to outcomes ranging from sequence conservation to structural and functional divergence. Evolutionary protein family analysis can illuminate which protein regions are likely to diverge or remain conserved in sequence, structure, and function. Moreover, nonsynonymous mutations in pathogens may result in the emergence of protein regions that affect the behavior of pathogenic proteins within a host and host response. I aimed to gain insight on pathogenic proteins from cancer and viruses using an evolutionary perspective. First, I examined p53, a conformationally flexible, multifunctional protein mutated in ~50% of human cancers. Multifunctional …

Exploration Of The Role Of Microbiome Structure, Metabolism, And Modification In Black Band Disease Etiology, Patricia Waikel

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The coral microbiome plays an integral role in coral health. Modification of the microbiome is thought to alter susceptibility to disease. Black Band Disease (BBD), is polymicrobial, mat forming, and affects reef building coral globally. Dominated by the cyanobacterium Roseofilum reptotaenium, it has been noted to increase in virulence with increasing temperatures, making BBD of particular concern in the face of climate change-induced warming seas. The active sulfur cycle of BBD makes dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), a widely available source of sulfur in the marine environment, of particular interest in the study of BBD. Traditional infection studies require field collection and …

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Inhibitors: Action And Resistance, Pamela K. Garcia-Moreno

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tuberculosis, an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has been a global health problem for years. The emergence of drug resistance in this organism generates the necessity of exploring novel targets and developing new drugs. Topoisomerases are enzymes found in all kingdoms of life responsible for overcoming the topological barriers encountered during essential cellular processes. The genomes of mycobacteria encode only one type IA topoisomerase (MtopI), which has been validated as a novel TB drug target. The goal of this study is to obtain new information on the mechanism and resistance of endogenous and synthetic inhibitors of MtopI.

Rv1495 is …

Biogeographical Patterns Of Soil Microbial Communities: Ecological, Structural, And Functional Diversity And Their Application To Soil Provenance, Natalie Damaso

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current ecological hypothesis states that the soil type (e.g., chemical and physical properties) determines which microbes occupy a particular soil and provides the foundation for soil provenance studies. As human profiles are used to determine a match between evidence from a crime scene and a suspect, a soil microbial profile can be used to determine a match between soil found on the suspect’s shoes or clothing to the soil at a crime scene. However, for a robust tool to be applied in forensic application, an understanding of the uncertainty associated with any comparisons and the parameters that can significantly …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Ampr Transcriptional Regulatory Network, Deepak Balasubramanian

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Enterobacteriaceae, the transcriptional regulator AmpR, a member of the LysR family, regulates the expression of a chromosomal β-lactamase AmpC. The regulatory repertoire of AmpR is broader in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen responsible for numerous acute and chronic infections including cystic fibrosis. Previous studies showed that in addition to regulating ampC, P. aeruginosa AmpR regulates the sigma factor AlgT/U and production of some quorum sensing (QS)-regulated virulence factors. In order to better understand the ampR regulon, the transcriptional profiles generated using DNA microarrays and RNA-Seq of the prototypic P. aeruginosa PAO1 strain with its isogenic ampR deletion …