Microbiology Commons^™

Xylan Metabolism By Caulobacter Crescentus, Viet Bui

Masters Theses

Bacteria present unique opportunities to explore the molecular mechanisms of nutrient acquisition processes at single cell level under various experimental conditions. Caulobacter crescentus is a gram-negative oligotrophic environmental bacterium with adaptive physiological responses, such as slow growth or complete arrest of cell cycle, presence of sessile and motile progenies with the sessile cells growing stalk to enhance nutrient uptake for growth in low-nutrient conditions. Details of plant polysaccharide-derived carbon compound, such as cellobiose, maltose, and xylose utilization by C. crescentus can be found but molecular details or mechanisms of polysaccharide utilization, such as xylan, has not been reported. Database analyses …

Phenotypic And Genotypic Characterization Of Escherichia Coli Isolated From Untreated Surface Waters, Kai F. Hung, Steven L. Daniel, Kristopher J. Janezic, Blake Ferry, Eric W. Hendricks, Brian A. Janiga, Tiffany Johnson, Samantha Murphy, Morgan E. Roberts, Sarah M. Scott, Alexandra N. Theisen

Kai F. Hung

A common member of the intestinal microbiota in humans and animals is Escherichia coli. Based on the presence of virulence factors, E. coli can be potentially pathogenic. The focus of this study was to isolate E. coli from untreated surface waters (37 sites) in Illinois and Missouri and determine phenotypic and genotypic diversity among isolates. Water samples positive for fecal coliforms based on the Colisure® test were streaked directly onto Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar (37°C) or transferred to EC broth (44.5°C). EC broth cultures producing gas were then streaked onto EMB agar. Forty-five isolates were identified as E. coli …

Phenotypic And Genotypic Characterization Of Escherichia Coli Isolated From Untreated Surface Waters, Kai Hung, Steven Daniel, Kristopher Janezic, Blake Ferry, Eric Hendricks, Brian Janiga, Tiffany Johnson, Samantha Murphy, Morgan Roberts, Sarah Scott, Alexandra Theisen

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

A common member of the intestinal microbiota in humans and animals is Escherichia coli. Based on the presence of virulence factors, E. coli can be potentially pathogenic. The focus of this study was to isolate E. coli from untreated surface waters (37 sites) in Illinois and Missouri and determine phenotypic and genotypic diversity among isolates. Water samples positive for fecal coliforms based on the Colisure® test were streaked directly onto Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar (37°C) or transferred to EC broth (44.5°C). EC broth cultures producing gas were then streaked onto EMB agar. Forty-five isolates were identified as E. coli …

Phenotypic And Genotypic Characterization Of Escherichia Coli Isolated From Untreated Surface Waters, Kai F. Hung, Steven L. Daniel, Kristopher J. Janezic, Blake Ferry, Eric W. Hendricks, Brian A. Janiga, Tiffany Johnson, Samantha Murphy, Morgan E. Roberts, Sarah M. Scott, Alexandra N. Theisen

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

A common member of the intestinal microbiota in humans and animals is Escherichia coli. Based on the presence of virulence factors, E. coli can be potentially pathogenic. The focus of this study was to isolate E. coli from untreated surface waters (37 sites) in Illinois and Missouri and determine phenotypic and genotypic diversity among isolates. Water samples positive for fecal coliforms based on the Colisure® test were streaked directly onto Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar (37°C) or transferred to EC broth (44.5°C). EC broth cultures producing gas were then streaked onto EMB agar. Forty-five isolates were identified as E. coli …

Using Comparative Genomics For Inquiry-Based Learning To Dissect Virulence Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 And Yersinia Pestis, David J. Baumler, Lois M. Banta, Kai F. Hung, Jodi A. Schwarz, Eric L. Cabot, Jeremy D. Glasner, Nicole T. Perna

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Genomics and bioinformatics are topics of increasing interest in undergraduate biological science curricula. Many existing exercises focus on gene annotation and analysis of a single genome. In this paper, we present two educational modules designed to enable students to learn and apply fundamental concepts in comparative genomics using examples related to bacterial pathogenesis. Students first examine alignments of genomes of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains isolated from three food-poisoning outbreaks using the multiple-genome alignment tool Mauve. Students investigate conservation of virulence factors using the Mauve viewer and by browsing annotations available at the A Systematic Annotation Package for Community Analysis of …

Using Comparative Genomics For Inquiry-Based Learning To Dissect Virulence Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 And Yersinia Pestis, David J. Baumler, Lois M. Banta, Kai F. Hung, Jodi A. Schwarz, Eric L. Cabot, Jeremy D. Glasner, Nicole T. Perna

Kai F. Hung

Genomics and bioinformatics are topics of increasing interest in undergraduate biological science curricula. Many existing exercises focus on gene annotation and analysis of a single genome. In this paper, we present two educational modules designed to enable students to learn and apply fundamental concepts in comparative genomics using examples related to bacterial pathogenesis. Students first examine alignments of genomes of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains isolated from three food-poisoning outbreaks using the multiple-genome alignment tool Mauve. Students investigate conservation of virulence factors using the Mauve viewer and by browsing annotations available at the A Systematic Annotation Package for Community Analysis of …

Using Comparative Genomics For Inquiry-Based Learning To Dissect Virulence Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 And Yersinia Pestis, David Baumler, Lois Banta, Kai Hung, Jodi Schwarz, Eric Cabot, Jeremy Glasner, Nicole Perna

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Genomics and bioinformatics are topics of increasing interest in undergraduate biological science curricula. Many existing exercises focus on gene annotation and analysis of a single genome. In this paper, we present two educational modules designed to enable students to learn and apply fundamental concepts in comparative genomics using examples related to bacterial pathogenesis. Students first examine alignments of genomes of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains isolated from three food-poisoning outbreaks using the multiple-genome alignment tool Mauve. Students investigate conservation of virulence factors using the Mauve viewer and by browsing annotations available at the A Systematic Annotation Package for Community Analysis of …

Annotation Of The Bacteriophage 933w Genome: An In-Class Interactive Web-Based Exercise, Kai F. Hung

Kai F. Hung

No abstract provided.

Molybdate Treatment And Sulfate Starvation Decrease Atp And Dna Levels In Ferroplasma Acidarmanus, Kai F. Hung

Kai F. Hung

Sulfate is a primary source of sulfur for most microbes and in some prokaryotes it is used an electron acceptor. The acidophile Ferroplasma acidarmanus (strain fer1) requires a minimum of 150 mM of a sulfate-containing salt for growth. Sulfate is assimilated by F. acidarmanus into proteins and reduced to form the volatile organic sulfur compounds methanethiol and dimethyldisulfide. In the absence of sulfate, cell death occurs by an unknown mechanism. In this study, cell viability and genomic DNA and ATP contents of F. acidarmanus were monitored in response to the absence of sulfate or the presence of sulfate and the …

Molybdate Treatment And Sulfate Starvation Decrease Atp And Dna Levels In Ferroplasma Acidarmanus, Kai Hung

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Sulfate is a primary source of sulfur for most microbes and in some prokaryotes it is used an electron acceptor. The acidophile Ferroplasma acidarmanus (strain fer1) requires a minimum of 150 mM of a sulfate-containing salt for growth. Sulfate is assimilated by F. acidarmanus into proteins and reduced to form the volatile organic sulfur compounds methanethiol and dimethyldisulfide. In the absence of sulfate, cell death occurs by an unknown mechanism. In this study, cell viability and genomic DNA and ATP contents of F. acidarmanus were monitored in response to the absence of sulfate or the presence of sulfate and the …

Annotation Of The Bacteriophage 933w Genome: An In-Class Interactive Web-Based Exercise, Kai F. Hung

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Molybdate Treatment And Sulfate Starvation Decrease Atp And Dna Levels In Ferroplasma Acidarmanus, Kai F. Hung

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Sulfate is a primary source of sulfur for most microbes and in some prokaryotes it is used an electron acceptor. The acidophile Ferroplasma acidarmanus (strain fer1) requires a minimum of 150 mM of a sulfate-containing salt for growth. Sulfate is assimilated by F. acidarmanus into proteins and reduced to form the volatile organic sulfur compounds methanethiol and dimethyldisulfide. In the absence of sulfate, cell death occurs by an unknown mechanism. In this study, cell viability and genomic DNA and ATP contents of F. acidarmanus were monitored in response to the absence of sulfate or the presence of sulfate and the …

Studies On Muropeptide Amino Acids Of Rhizobium Japonicum, Mohammed Alauddin

Masters Theses

The isolation of Rhizobium japonicum cell walls was performed by ultrasonication and the enzymatic digestion with DNase, RNase and pronase separately. Crude cell walls were washed with M NaCl and 5% SDS and were isolated by 20,000 g centrifugation. Muropeptide amino acids were freed by hydrolysis at 121C for 10 minutes in 6N HCl.

Detection of Rhizobium japonicum murein layer amino acids was done by 2-dimensional instant thin layer chromatography on silica gel plates. The solvents found most favorable, were n-butanol: acetic acid: water and n-propanol: 34% ammonium hydroxide. Amino acid spots were developed by spraying ninhydrin on the chromatograms, …

Lysis Of The Rhizobiaceae, Craig Richard Baumrucker

Masters Theses

The following members of the Rhizobiaceae were tested for their lytic response to various treatments: Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Chromobacterium violaceum, Rhizobium phaseoli, Rhizobium trifolii, Rhizobium lupini, and Rhizobium japonicum. Lysis was observed in spent growth media and as a function of saline concentration, pH, buffer composition, disodium (ethylenedinitrilo) tetraacetate (EDTA) concentration, and lysozyme.

Cells were harvested by centrifugation, washed, and resuspended in various treatment solutions. The lytic response was followed spectrophotometrically.

The different responses of the six cultures was applied to a summation of reclassification proposals evolved through modern taxonomic techniques such as DNA homology …