Microbiology Commons^™

Synthesis And Kinetic Studies Of High-Valent Metal-Oxo Species Generated By Photochemical And Chemical Methods, Haiyan Liu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Highly reactive iron-oxo intermediates play important roles as active oxidants in enzymatic and synthetic catalytic oxidation. Many transition metal catalysts are designed for biomimetic studies of the predominant oxidation catalysts in Nature, namely cytochrome P450 enzymes. In this work, a series of iron(IV)-oxo porphyrins [Fe^IV(Por)O] and manganese(IV)-oxo porphyrins [Mn^IV(Por)O] have been successfully produced in two electron-deficient ligands by photochemical and chemical methods, and spectroscopically characterized by UV-vis, and ¹H-NMR.

With iodobenzene diacetate [PhI(OAc)₂] as the oxygen source, iron(III) porphyrin and manganese(III) porphyrin complexes converted to the corresponding metal(IV)-oxo species as oxygen atom transfer …

Non O1, Non O139 Vibrio Cholerae Bacteraemia In An Infant; Case Report And Literature Review, Mirza Zain Baig, Umme Hani Abdullah, Yusra Shafquat, Khadija Nuzhat Humayun, Afia Zafar

Medical College Documents

Non 01, Non O139 Vibrio cholerae bacteraemia is a rare but potentially fatal occurrence. There have been very few incidents of this infection from around the world. The treatment regimen of antibiotics also varies in literature. We present a case of bacteraemia caused by Non O1, Non O139 Vibrio cholerae along with associated risk factors, disease manifestations, laboratory diagnosis and treatment regimen. This serves to add additional information regarding symptoms and signs of this infection along with management of patient. Knowledge regarding this topic shall be highly useful to professionals if further cases are detected. In the discussion section, a …

Characterization Of Pinitol Catabolism In Sinorhizobium Meliloti And Its Role In Nodule Occupancy, Angela Irene Kennedy-Mendez

Masters Theses

Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is the nitrogen fixing symbiont of Medicago sativa (alfalfa), was used to test the hypothesis that D-chiro-inositol is an intermediate of pinitol catabolism and that pinitol catabolism plays a role in S. melilot s ability to compete for nodule occupancy. An analytical method, involving gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GCMS), was developed to detect and separate pinitol and D-chiro-inositol. The S. meliloti wild type, and three isogenic mutant strains (idhA, mocD, and mocE) were grown in minimal medium with pinitol and pinitol plus glycerol. The S. meliloti wild type can utilize pinitol as a sole carbon source, …

Cloning And Functional Analysis Of The Escherichia Coli Cell Division Protein Zape, Katherine Kellenberger

Senior Honors Projects

During bacterial cell division, a large, dynamic cytoskeletal structure called the Z-ring assembles at the site of division. The Z-ring is comprised of the major cell division protein FtsZ, a tubulin-like GTPase that utilizes GTP to assemble into linear polymers. In Escherichia coli, there are several cell division proteins that interact with FtsZ and regulate Z-ring assembly, constriction, and disassembly. The accessory proteins that interact with FtsZ are called Z-ring associated proteins (ZAPs). The Zaps which include ZapA, ZapB, ZapC, ZapD and ZapE are recruited to the divisome and influence Z-ring assembly and stability. Specifically, ZapE was identified to be …

Neutrophils From Both Susceptible And Resistant Mice Efficiently Kill Opsonized Listeria Monocytogenes, Michelle G. Pitts, Travis A. Combs, Sarah E. F. D'Orazio

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Inbred mouse strains differ in their susceptibility to infection with the facultative intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, largely due to delayed or deficient innate immune responses. Previous antibody depletion studies suggested that neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes [PMN]) were particularly important for clearance in the liver, but the ability of PMN from susceptible and resistant mice to directly kill L. monocytogenes has not been examined. In this study, we showed that PMN infiltrated the livers of BALB/c/By/J (BALB/c) and C57BL/6 (B6) mice in similar numbers and that both cell types readily migrated toward leukotriene B4 in an in vitro chemotaxis assay. However, …

Microbiology (Sgsc), Molly Smith, Sara Selby

Biological Sciences Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for Microbiology was created under a Round Six ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

Characterization Of A Morphogenetic Furrow Specific Gal4 Driver In The Developing Drosophila Eye, Ankita Sarkar, Neha Gogia, Kevin Farley, Lydia C. Payton, Amit Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

The ability to express a gene of interest in a spatio-temporal manner using Gal4-UAS system has allowed the use of Drosophila model to study various biological phenomenon. During Drosophila eye development, a synchronous wave of differentiation called Morphogenetic furrow (MF) initiates at the posterior margin resulting in differentiation of retinal neurons. This synchronous differentiation is also observed in the differentiating retina of vertebrates. Since MF is highly dynamic, it can serve as an excellent model to study patterning and differentiation. However, there are not any Gal4 drivers available to observe the gain- of- function or loss- of- function of a …

Origin, Evolution, And Loss Of Bacterial Small Rnas, H. Auguste Dutcher, Rahul Raghavan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite the central role of bacterial noncoding small RNAs (sRNAs) in posttranscriptional regulation, little is understood about their evolution. Here we compile what has been studied to date and trace a life cycle of sRNAs—from their mechanisms of emergence, through processes of change and frequent neofunctionalization, to their loss from bacterial lineages. Because they possess relatively unrestrictive structural requirements, we find that sRNA origins are varied, and include de novo emergence as well as formation from preexisting genetic elements via duplication events and horizontal gene transfer. The need for only partial complementarity to their mRNA targets facilitates apparent rapid change, …

In Vitro Assay Development As An Alternative To The Use Of Laboratory Animals For Measuring Clostridium Perfingens Type C Toxoid, Lauren M. Wilmes

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Clostridium perfringens type C produces beta toxin, which is a primary virulence determinate that can cause necrotic enteritis in neonatal animals. Vaccines directed against C. perfringens toxins have shown to be efficacious in preventing disease. However, the production of a commercial vaccine requires not only an efficacious antigen, but also testing methods for quantifying antigens and potency on final product. This research was undertaken to fulfill a need for the reduction in small animal usage to produce and deliver vaccines. The current testing methods are performed in vivo according to the Code of Federal Regulations number 9 (9CFR) United …

Hospital And Meat Associated Staphylococcus Aureus And Their Biofilm Characteristics, Trevor Michael Wienclaw

Theses and Dissertations

Biofilm phenotypes were studied in 32 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from store-bought meats and 22 from diseased patients in hospitals. Of the meat-associated strains, 21 were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 11 were methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). The hospital-associated strains included 15 MRSAs and 7 MSSAs. We studied the robustness and composition of the biofilms produced by these strains. We found that on average hospital-associated strains form more robust biofilms than meat associated strains. The model often used to describe S. aureus biofilm composition includes two biofilm types defined by the presence or absence of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), PIA-dependent …

Prediction Of Lncrna-Disease Associations Based On Inductive Matrix Completion, Chengqian Lu, Mengyun Yang, Feng Luo, Fang-Xiang Wu, Min Li, Yi Pan, Yaohang Li, Jianxin Wang

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Motivation: Accumulating evidences indicate that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play pivotal roles in various biological processes. Mutations and dysregulations of lncRNAs are implicated in miscellaneous human diseases. Predicting lncRNA–disease associations is beneficial to disease diagnosis as well as treatment. Although many computational methods have been developed, precisely identifying lncRNA–disease associations, especially for novel lncRNAs, remains challenging.

Results: In this study, we propose a method (named SIMCLDA) for predicting potential lncRNA– disease associations based on inductive matrix completion. We compute Gaussian interaction profile kernel of lncRNAs from known lncRNA–disease interactions and functional similarity of diseases based on disease–gene and gene–gene onotology …

Role Of Mucin 19 In The Respiratory Tract, Kaitlin Mcbride

LSU Master's Theses

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a negative sense, single stranded RNA virus belonging to the Pneumoviridae family, and represents an important pathogen that causes severe respiratory disease worldwide. There is currently no vaccine against HMPV, so it is important to study the aspects of the immune response induced by HMPV. Because infiltration of mucus is a hallmark of HMPV infection, it is warranted to study the role of mucus in the disease process. Mucin proteins make up the major component of mucus and can be found within the airway and lungs. Previous work from our laboratory demonstrated a high upregulation of …

Povidone-Iodine Vapor Kills Mrsa, Benjamin Ogilvie, Jon Mitton, Jordan Tucker, Dennis L. Eggett, Richard A. Robison

Student Works

Povidone-iodine is an antiseptic that is frequently used to clean skin prior to surgery. Current FDA regulations require that hospitals dispense povidone-iodine from single-use bottles, rather than large, multi-use containers, to prevent microbial contamination. This results in hospitals generating lots of product waste. However, if povidone-iodine vapor can kill microbes, then multi-use containers may be safe to use, since any bacteria that contaminated the inside of the container would soon die. The purpose of this research was to determine whether vapor from povidone-iodine could kill methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a common cause of hospital-associated infections.

In summary, this experiment demonstrated …

Genomic Expansion Of Magnetotactic Bacteria Reveals An Early Common Origin Of Magnetotaxis With Lineage-Specific Evolution, Wei Lin, Wensi Zhang, Xiang Zhao, Andrew P. Roberts, Greig A. Paterson, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Yongxin Pan

Life Sciences Faculty Research

The origin and evolution of magnetoreception, which in diverse prokaryotes and protozoa is known as magnetotaxis and enables these microorganisms to detect Earth’s magnetic field for orientation and navigation, is not well understood in evolutionary biology. The only known prokaryotes capable of sensing the geomagnetic field are magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), motile microorganisms that biomineralize intracellular, membrane-bounded magnetic single-domain crystals of either magnetite (Fe3O4) or greigite (Fe3S4) called magnetosomes. Magnetosomes are responsible for magnetotaxis in MTB. Here we report the first large-scale metagenomic survey of MTB from both northern and southern hemispheres combined with 28 genomes from uncultivated MTB. These genomes …

Characterization Of The Effects Of Heavy Charged Particle Exposure On The Radiation Resistant Bacterium Deinococcus Radiodurans, Todd A. Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

Although not an extremophile, Deinococcus radiodurans has proven to have exceptional resistance to ionizing radiation, specifically via gamma and X-ray photons. To date, no known experiments have bombarded the bacterium with charged particles larger than hydrogen. This study explored the effects on the organism’s ability to survive high linear energy transfer heavy-charged particle exposures of oxygen ions. It also investigated the effects of low linear energy transfer ultraviolet radiation on various mutants. Two uvrB mutants were created to ascertain the importance of the gene in single-strand break repair following gamma irradiation and two recF mutants were created to explore the …

Characterization Of Silicon Ion Exposure On Deinococcus Radiodurans, Richard F. Daughtry

Theses and Dissertations

Deinococcus radiodurans is a robust bacterium that is known for its extraordinary resistance to ionizing radiation. In general, many of the investigations of this bacterium's resistance have revolved around low linear energy transfer radiation, such as gamma and electron radiation. This study explored Deinococcus radiodurans's ability to survive high linear energy transfer radiation, specifically proton and neutron radiation. Deinococcus radiodurans was dehydrated to reduce the effects of low linear energy transfer radiation. The bacteria were exposed to both neutron and proton radiation of varying amounts and rehydrated. The resulting colonies were counted and compared to colonies of non-irradiated control samples …

Rapid Identification And Typing Of Mycobacterium Avium Complex Using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (Maldi-Tof) Library And Biomarker Based Approaches, Claudia Antonika, John Dustin Loy, Raul Barletta, Michael Collins

UCARE: Research Products

Bacteria associated with the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) cause significant problems in animal agriculture and cause large economic losses and morbidity of livestock. Two clinically important subspecies of M. avium are M.avium ssp paratuberculosis (MAP) and M. avium ssp hominissuis (MAH). MAP is the etiologic agent of Johne’s disease, a chronic and fatal enteritis in ruminants, that has been linked to Crohn’s disease in humans.1 MAH has zoonotic potential as it is one of the leading causes of secondary infections in AIDS patients. Identification of M. avium in clinical samples is challenging as they have overlapping host ranges and clinical …

Gene Co-Occurrence Networks Reflect Bacteriophage Ecology And Evolution, Jason W. Shapiro, Catherine Putonti

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Bacteriophages are the most abundant and diverse biological entities on the planet, and new phage genomes are being discovered at a rapid pace. As more phage genomes are published, new methods are needed for placing these genomes in an ecological and evolutionary context. Phages are difficult to study by phylogenetic methods, because they exchange genes regularly, and no single gene is conserved across all phages. Here, we demonstrate how gene-level networks can provide a high-resolution view of phage genetic diversity and offer a novel perspective on virus ecology. We focus our analyses on virus host range and show how network …

Education Institutions Creation Of Partnerships, Iwasan D. Kejawa Ed.D

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This issue is embracing the creation of partnerships with establishments worldwide for the provisions of life embodiments to graduates. At moment, there may be lack of friendship or partnership with establishments to create incentives for newly graduates of so many colleges and universities (Hirsh & Weber, 1999). Partnership with external companies will surely bring enormous grants to the colleges and universities and it will also encourage friendly establishments to provide incentives and perks to colleges, universities and alumni. It may be concluded that the advantages of creating rapport with external congruences is the comraderies and also compromises that will be …

Breeding For Resistance In California Strawberry To Verticillium Dahliae, Zachary Christman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This article focuses on breeding resistant strawberries to the fungus Verticillium dahliae, common name Verticillium wilt. This is a serious fungal disease that can result in a loss of 50% or more of a strawberry harvest when grown in infested soil. The main goal is to provide an example of how a cultivar can be made more resistant to a plant pathogen with the use of plant breeding methods.

Since 1930 the University of California, Davis, has been developing strawberry cultivars that are adapted to the agricultural industry and regional farms. Developing cultivars that require fewer inputs are of …

Factors Affecting The Parasitism Of Gregarine Species In Grasshoppers In Western Nebraska, Alexandra Creigh, Kristin Mclarty, Scott Lyell Gardner

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

We conducted a survey of the species of parasites found in grasshoppers around the area of Dunwoody’s Pond to investigate whether there were any species specific parasitic relationships occurring there. We collected grasshoppers from several areas around Dunwoody’s Pond totaling 15 species including Melanoplus bivittatus (Say 1825) , Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius, 1798) , Melanoplus differentialis (Thomas 1865), and Melanoplus femurrubrum (De Geer 1773), along with others (Seymour et al., 2009) and compared the parasites found in them. This study is similar to one conducted in South America by Lloyd in 1951, and we hoped to find connections between species to …

Effects Of Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure Against Mesophilic Background Microflora And Habituated Salmonella Serovars In Orange Juice, Abimbola Allison, Edward Daniels, Shahid Chowdhury, Aliyar Fouladkhah

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

With recent improvements in the commercial feasibility of high pressure pasteurization units, the technology is gaining rapid acceptability across various sectors of food manufacturing, thus requiring extensive validation studies for effective adoption. Various times (1 min to 10 min) and intensity levels (0 MPa to 380 MPa) of elevated hydrostatic pressure were investigated for decontamination of mesophilic background microflora and inoculated Salmonella in orange juice. Results were analyzed by GLM procedure of SAS using Tukey- and Dunnett-adjusted ANOVA, additionally the Kmax and D-values were calculated using best-fitted (maximum R2) model obtained by GInaFit software. At 380 MPa, for treatments of …

Microbiome And Bacterioplankton Rrna Gene Sequence Data Collected From Gulf Of Mexico Seawater Samples, Cruises Dp03 And Dp04 From April - August 2016, Cole Easson, Lindsey Freed

DEEPEND Datasets

Seawater was collected and filtered for microbiome and bacterioplankton sequencing and analyses at various depths during planned DEEPEND cruise expeditions to the GOM in 2016. Filters were stored and then processed for total environmental genomic DNA according to standard methods (see earthmicrobiome.org). 16S rRNA amplicon libraries covering the V4 hypervariable regions were generated with universal PCR primers and then sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq DNA sequencing platform. Raw paired-end sequences were joined and quality filtered in the bioinformatics program, QIIME. Vertical baseline characterizations will track alpha and beta diversity at different depths ranging from 0 – 1500 m, assess seasonal …

A Cultured Learning Environment: Implementing A Problem- And Service-Based Microbiology Capstone Course To Assess Process- And Skill-Based Learning Objectives, Rachel M. Watson, John D. Willford, Mariel A. Pfeifer

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

In this study, a problem-based capstone course was designed to assess the University of Wyoming Microbiology Program’s skill-based and process-based student learning objectives. Students partnered with a local farm, a community garden, and a free downtown clinic in order to conceptualize, propose, perform, and present studies addressing problems experienced by these partners. Instructor assessments enabled understanding of student competencies, and according to external subject matter experts students demonstrated mastery of all learning objectives on the final research presentation. Community partners were completely satisfied with the students’ solutions, professionalism, and communication. Instructional diagnosis and student course evaluations showed satisfaction, engagement, and …

Gas Plasma Pre-Treatment Increases Antibiotic Sensitivity And Persister Eradication In Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Li Guo, Ruobing Xu, Yiming Zhao, Dingxin Liu, Zhijie Liu, Xiaohua Wang, Hailan Chen, Michael G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of serious nosocomial infections, and recurrent MRSA infections primarily result from the survival of persister cells after antibiotic treatment. Gas plasma, a novel source of ROS (reactive oxygen species) and RNS (reactive nitrogen species) generation, not only inactivates pathogenic microbes but also restore the sensitivity of MRSA to antibiotics. This study further found that sublethal treatment of MRSA with both plasma and plasma-activated saline increased the antibiotic sensitivity and promoted the eradication of persister cells by tetracycline, gentamycin, clindamycin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, rifampicin, and vancomycin. The short-lived ROS and RNS generated by plasma …

Circulating Pander Concentration Is Associated With Increased Hba1c And Fasting Blood Glucose In Type 2 Diabetic Subjects, Catherine B. Marelia, Melanie N. Kuehl, Tiffany A. Shemwell, Amy C. Alman, Brant R. Burkhardt

Molecular Biosciences Faculty Publications

Aim: PANcreatic-DERived factor (PANDER, FAM3B) is a novel hormone that regulates glucose levels via interaction with both the endocrine pancreas and liver. Prior studies examining PANDER were primarily conducted in murine models or in vitro but little is known regarding the circulating concentration of PANDER in humans, especially with regard to the association of type 2 diabetes (T2D) or overall glycemic regulation. To address this limitation, we performed a cross-sectional analysis of circulating serum PANDER concentration in association with other hormones that serve as either markers of insulin resistance (insulin and adiponectin) or to metabolic parameters of glycemic control such …

Comparative Analysis Of Microbial Sensing Molecules In Mucosal Tissues With Aging, Octavio A. Gonzalez, Sreenatha S. Kirakodu, Michael John Novak, A. J. Stromberg, L. Orraca, J. Gonzalez-Martinez, A. Burgos, Jeffrey L. Ebersole

Center for Oral Health Research Faculty Publications

Host-bacterial interactions at mucosal surfaces require recognition of the bacteria by host cells enabling targeted responses to maintain tissue homeostasis. It is now well recognized that an array of host-derived pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), both cell-bound and soluble, are critical to innate immune engagement of microbes via microbial-associated molecular patterns (MAMP). This report describes the use of a nonhuman primate model to evaluate changes in the expression of these sensing molecules related to aging in healthy gingival tissues. Macaca mulatta aged 3-24 years were evaluated clinically and gingival tissues obtained, RNA isolated and microarray analysis conducted for gene expression of …

A Comparison Of Oral And Intravenous Mouse Models Of Listeriosis, Michelle G. Pitts, Sarah E. F. D'Orazio

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Listeria monocytogenes is one of several enteric microbes that is acquired orally, invades the gastric mucosa, and then disseminates to peripheral tissues to cause systemic disease in humans. Intravenous (i.v.) inoculation of mice with L. monocytogenes has been the most widely-used small animal model of listeriosis over the past few decades. The infection is highly reproducible and has been invaluable in deciphering mechanisms of adaptive immunity in vivo, particularly CD8+ T cell responses to intracellular pathogens. However, the i.v. model completely bypasses the gut phase of the infection. Recent advances in generating both humanized mice and murinized bacteria, as well …

Integrating Tuberculosis And Antimicrobial Resistance Control Programmes, Rumina Hasan, Sadia Shakoor, Johanna Hanefeld, Mishal Khan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Many low- and middle-income countries facing high levels of antimicrobial resistance, and the associated morbidity from ineffective treatment, also have a high burden of tuberculosis. Over recent decades many countries have developed effective laboratory and information systems for tuberculosis control. In this paper we describe how existing tuberculosis laboratory systems can be expanded to accommodate antimicrobial resistance functions. We show how such expansion in services may benefit tuberculosis case-finding and laboratory capacity through integration of laboratory services. We further summarize the synergies between high-level strategies on tuberculosis and antimicrobial resistance control. These provide a potential platform for the integration of …

Gene Flow Between Divergent Cereal- And Grass-Specific Lineages Of The Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe Oryzae, Pierre Gladieux, Bradford Condon, Sebastien Ravel, Darren Soanes, Joao Leodato Nunes Maciel, Antonio Nhani, Li Chen, Ryohei Terauchi, Marc-Henri Lebrun, Didier Tharreau, Thomas Mitchell, Kerry F Pedley, Barbara Valent, Nicholas J. Talbot, Mark L. Farman, Elisabeth Fournier

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Delineating species and epidemic lineages in fungal plant pathogens is critical to our understanding of disease emergence and the structure of fungal biodiversity and also informs international regulatory decisions. Pyricularia oryzae (syn. Magnaporthe oryzae) is a multihost pathogen that infects multiple grasses and cereals, is responsible for the most damaging rice disease (rice blast), and is of growing concern due to the recent introduction of wheat blast to Bangladesh from South America. However, the genetic structure and evolutionary history of M. oryzae, including the possible existence of cryptic phylogenetic species, remain poorly defined. Here, we use whole-genome sequence …