Bacteriology Commons^™

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Alternative And Prescription Antibiotics Against Gram-Positive Bacteria, Rachel Jenkins, Roan Dickenson, Sam Turnbull, Marcela Torres

Senior Theses

The rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a global public health concern that threatens the efficacy of antibiotic drugs. We found that natural remedies, specifically coconut oil, honey and cinnamon essential oil, have the potential to be used as a clinical alternative to treat antibiotic-resistant infections. In this experiment, we performed a disk diffusion test and measured the area of inhibition of each treatment to compare the effectiveness of natural and prescription antibiotics. Cinnamon essential oil showed significantly greater antibiotic activity compared to a prescription treatment, amoxicillin. With bacterial resistance continuously expanding, more work needs to be done to determine …

Fluorescence-Reported Allelic Exchange Mutagenesis Reveals A Role For Chlamydia Trachomatis Tmea In Invasion That Is Independent Of Host Ahnak, M. J. Mckuen, Konrad E. Mueller, Y. S. Bae, Kenneth A. Fields

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Development of approaches to genetically manipulate Chlamydia is fostering important advances in understanding pathogenesis. Fluorescence-reported allelic exchange mutagenesis (FRAEM) now enables the complete deletion of specific genes in C. trachomatis L2. We have leveraged this technology to delete the coding sequences for a known type III effector. The evidence provided here indicates that CT694/CTL0063 is a virulence protein involved in chlamydial invasion. Based on our findings, we designate the gene product corresponding to ct694-ctl0063 translocated membrane-associated effector A (TmeA). Deletion of tmeA did not impact development of intracellular chlamydiae. However, the absence of TmeA manifested as a decrease in infectivity …

Type Ix Secretion System: Characterization Of An Effector Protein And An Insight Into The Role Of C-Terminal Domain Dimeration In Outer Membrane Translocation., Lahari Koneru

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia are two of the primary pathogens that are associated in the etiology and progression of chronic periodontitis. In T. forsythia, KLIKK proteases are the recently identified group of proteolytic enzymes that are secreted through Type IX secretion system (T9SS). Among, these KLIKK proteases a synergistic relationship was observed between karilysin and mirolysin in invading the host complement system for the survival of the bacteria. Since, karilysin has been already characterized, in this study we propose to study about mirolysin through structural, biochemical and biological characterization. The obtained results from the experiments has shown the …

Development Of A Cholera Toxin Cta2/B Based Staphylococcus Aureus Vaccine To Prevent Bovine Mastitis, Neha Misra

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen causing chronic and invasive disease worldwide. This bacterium is a leading cause of community and hospital acquired infections in humans, and is also known to infect wild and domestic animals. Bovine mastitis, or inflammation of the udder, is one of the most economically relevant diseases of the dairy industry, with a high incidence worldwide. S. aureus is a major etiological agent causing this disease. S. aureus mastitis is highly contagious and difficult or impossible to treat. Management practices at dairy farms, that include good sanitation and antibiotic use, have been partially successful in reducing …

Embracing Bacterial Cellulose As A Catalyst For Sustainable Fashion, Luis Quijano

Senior Honors Theses

Bacterial cellulose is a leather-like material produced during the production of Kombucha as a pellicle of bacterial cellulose (SCOBY) using Kombucha SCOBY, water, sugar, and green tea. Through an examination of the bacteria that produces the cellulose pellicle of the interface of the media and the air, currently named Komagataeibacter xylinus, an investigation of the growing process of bacterial cellulose and its uses, an analysis of bacterial cellulose’s properties, and a discussion of its prospects, one can fully grasp bacterial cellulose’s potential in becoming a catalyst for sustainable fashion. By laying the groundwork for further research to be conducted …

Both Adhe And A Separate Nadph-Dependent Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene, Adha, Are Necessary For High Ethanol Production In Thermoanaerobacterium Saccharolyticum, Tianyong Zheng, Daniel G. Olson, Sean J. Murphy, Xiongjun Shao, Liang Tian, Lee Lynd

Dartmouth Scholarship

Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum has been engineered to produce ethanol at ∼90% theoretical yield and titer of 70 g/L. Its ethanol-producing ability has drawn attention to its metabolic pathways, which could potentially be transferred to other organisms of interest. Here we report that the iron-containing AdhA is important for ethanol production in the high-ethanol strain of T. saccharolyticum (LL1049). A single-gene deletion of adhA in LL1049 reduced ethanol production by ∼50%, whereas multiple gene deletions of all annotated alcohol dehydrogenases except adhA and adhE did not affect ethanol production. Deletion of adhA in wild-type T. saccharolyticum reduced NADPH-linked ADH activity (acetaldehyde-reducing) by …

Defining Electron Bifurcation In The Electron-Transferring Flavoprotein Family, Amaya M. Garcia Costas, Saroj Poudel, Anne-Frances Miller, Gerrit J. Schut, Rhesa N. Ledbetter, Kathryn R. Fixen, Lance C. Seefeldt, Michael W. W. Adams, Caroline S. Harwood, Eric S. Boyd, John W. Peters

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Electron bifurcation is the coupling of exergonic and endergonic redox reactions to simultaneously generate (or utilize) low- and high-potential electrons. It is the third recognized form of energy conservation in biology and was recently described for select electron-transferring flavoproteins (Etfs). Etfs are flavin-containing heterodimers best known for donating electrons derived from fatty acid and amino acid oxidation to an electron transfer respiratory chain via Etf-quinone oxidoreductase. Canonical examples contain a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) that is involved in electron transfer, as well as a non-redox-active AMP. However, Etfs demonstrated to bifurcate electrons contain a second FAD in place of the …

Characterization Of Different Molecular Markers For Identification Of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhi In Pakistani Population, Faizan Muttiullah, Fida Muhammad Khan, Fakhar-I- Abbas, Sabiha Shamim

Journal of Bioresource Management

Typhoid is caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi that is usually diagnosed by using serologic and immuno-chromatographic techniques in developing counties including Pakistan, which is thought to be an unreliable diagnostic method. For accurate diagnosis we used molecular techniques to amplify 204 bp StyR-36 and 498 bp flagellin gene for the identification of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. This study was done on 58 individuals diagnosed positive of typhoid via serologic tests and 50 healthy individuals as a control group. Success rate of amplification for flagellin gene was 77.58% while that for StyR-36 gene was 68.97% showing that flagellin gene primer …

Characterization Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis Mfa1 Fimbriae., Jae Yong Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Porphyromonas gingivalis, an obligate anaerobic bacterium associated with chronic periodontitis, utilizes various virulence factors to achieve pathogenicity, one of which is the Mfa1 fimbriae. As a surface structure comprising Mfa1 major subunit along with accessory fimbrial proteins Mfa2-5, the Mfa1 fimbriae has been shown to mediate the adherence of P. gingivalis to antecedent bacterial colonizers of the oral cavity to cause increased virulence. However, the spatial relationships amongst the individual subunits and their assembly mechanism have remained unclear. Through immuno-electron microscopy, Mfa1-4 were localized on the surface of P. gingivalis with Mfa1 localizing throughout the fimbriae and Mfa2 in …

Antimicrobial Hydroxyapatite-Gelatin-Silica Composite Pastes With Tunable Setting Properties, Vuk Uskoković, Shreya Ghosh, Victoria M. Wu

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Bone grafting is one of the commonest surgical procedures, yet all bone substitutes developed so far suffer from specific weaknesses and the search for a bone graft material with ideal physical and biological properties is still ongoing. Calcium phosphate pastes are the most frequently used synthetic bone grafts, yet they (a) often take an impractically long time to set, (b) release the drug content too fast, and (c) do not form pores large enough to accommodate host cells and foster osseointegration. To make up for these deficiencies, we introduced gelatin and silica to pastes composed of 5–15 nm sized hydroxyapatite …

Geographic Strain Differentiation Of Schistosoma Japonicum In The Philippines Using Microsatellite Markers, Kharleezelle J. Moendeg

Biology Faculty Publications

Background

Microsatellites have been found to be useful in determining genetic diversities of various medically-important parasites which can be used as basis for an effective disease management and control program. In Asia and Africa, the identification of different geographical strains of Schistosoma japonicum, S. haematobium and S. mansoni as determined through microsatellites could pave the way for a better understanding of the transmission epidemiology of the parasite. Thus, the present study aims to apply microsatellite markers in analyzing the populations of S. japonicum from different endemic areas in the Philippines for possible strain differentiation.

Methodology/ Principal …

Sulfolobus Spindle-Shaped Virus 1 Growth Kinetics, Setarah Mohammad Nader

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Geothermal and hypersaline environments are rich in viral particles, among which spindle-shaped morphologies predominate. Currently, viruses with spindle- or lemon-shaped virions are unique to Archaea and belong to two distinct viral families. The larger of the two families, the Fuselloviridae, encompasses spindle-shaped viruses with very short tails, which infect Sulfolobus solfataricus and close relatives. Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus 1 (SSV1) is the best-known member of the family and was one of the first hyperthermophilic archaeal viruses to be isolated. However, our knowledge of fuselloviral life cycles and the relationships between these viruses and their hosts is still limited. As a …

Colonization Density Of The Upper Respiratory Tract As A Predictor Of Pneumonia-Haemophilus Influenzae, Moraxella Catarrhalis, Staphylococcus Aureus, And Pneumocystis Jirovecii., Daniel E Park, Henry C Baggett, Stephen R C Howie, Qiyuan Shi, Nora L Watson, W Abdullah Brooks, Perch Study Group

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Background.

There is limited information on the association between colonization density of upper respiratory tract colonizers and pathogen-specific pneumonia. We assessed this association for Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pneumocystis jirovecii. Methods.

In 7 low- and middle-income countries, nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs from children with severe pneumonia and age-frequency matched community controls were tested using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Differences in median colonization density were evaluated using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Density cutoffs were determined using receiver operating characteristic curves. Cases with a pathogen identified from lung aspirate culture or PCR, pleural fluid culture or …

Pas Signaling Mechanisms In Aer And Aer2, Darysbel Garcia

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

PAS domains are widespread signal sensors that share a conserved three-dimensional αβ fold that consists of a central β-sheet flanked by several α- helices. The aerotaxis receptor Aer from Escherichia coli and the Aer2 chemoreceptor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa both contain PAS domains. Aer senses oxygen (O2) indirectly via an FAD cofactor bound to its PAS domain, while Aer2 directly binds O2 to its PAS b-type heme cofactor. The Aer and Aer2 PAS domains both interact with a signal transduction domain known as a HAMP domain. The PAS-HAMP arrangement differs between Aer and Aer2, with Aer- PAS residing adjacent to its …

Characterization Of Genes Involved In Phycobiliprotein Biosynthesis In Fremyella Diplosiphon And Thermosynechococcus Elongatus, Christina M. Kronfel

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms that efficiently capture light by utilizing the light-harvesting complexes called phycobilisomes. In many cyanobacteria, phycobilisomes are composed of an allophycocyanin core with phycocyanin and phycoerythrin (PE) rods radiating from the core. These phycobiliproteins have multiple bilin chromophores, such as phycoerythrobilin (PEB), covalently attached to specific cysteine (Cys) residues for efficient photosynthetic light capture. Chromophore ligation on phycobiliprotein subunits occurs through bilin lyase catalyzed reactions.

This study mainly focuses on characterizing the roles of enzymes that are involved in the biosynthetic pathway of the phycobiliproteins within two cyanobacteria Thermosynechococcus elongatus and Fremyella diplosiphon. A combination of molecular …

Effect Of Spatial Influence On Endophyte Diversity Within Alnus Rubra, Sebastian L. Singleton

Student Research Symposium

Red alders (Alnus rubra) of the Pacific Northwest are characterized as actinorhizal dicotyledons; plants that possess that ability to form symbiotic relationships with endophytic organisms, which result in nitrogen-fixing nodules. In Alders of the order Fagales, such a symbiotic relationship with Frankia bacteria allows these plants to play crucial environmental roles as pioneer species able to colonize and enrich nutrient-deficient soils. This ability has a major impact on ecological succession by enabling other species to establish. Although inoculation with frankia bacteria is known to increase symbiotic nitrogen fixation capabilities of actinorhizal plants, whether they could confer the same benefit to …

Ancient Bacteria–Amoeba Relationships And Pathogenic Animal Bacteria, Joan E. Strassmann, Longfei Shu

Biology Faculty Research

Long before bacteria infected humans, they infected amoebas, which remain a potentially important reservoir for human disease. Diverse soil amoebas including Dictyostelium and Acanthamoeba can host intracellular bacteria. Though the internal environment of free-living amoebas is similar in many ways to that of mammalian macrophages, they differ in a number of important ways, including temperature. A new study in PLOS Biology by Taylor-Mulneix et al. demonstrates that Bordetella bronchiseptica has two different gene suites that are activated depending on whether the bacterium finds itself in a hot mammalian or cool amoeba host environment. This study specifically shows that B. …

Preliminary Analyses Of The Diversity Of Soil Microbes On The Campus Of The University Of The Incarnate Word, Viridiana Wheeler

Theses & Dissertations

Soil samples were examined outside Bonilla Science Hall on the campus of the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, at three time points between the calendar years 2016 and 2017. These time points correspond to Fall, Winter, and Spring. Samples were taken at two topsoil depths, 1 cm and 4 cm, to determine if there is a difference in bacterial load or distribution across the time frame examined.

Soil samples were diluted and plated on nutrient agar plates in order to identify unique colony morphologies. A total of 132 distinct morphological isolates were identified and sequenced. Of …

Lymphoid Hematopoiesis And The Role Of B-Cells In Transgenic Mouse Model Of Sickle Cell Disease, Christina Cotte

University Scholar Projects

Sickle cell disease (SCD) has been shown to be associated with decreased baseline immunity and thus increased susceptibility to infection. I sought to discern possible causes of this by looking into the correlations between SCD and hematopoiesis, the immune system and the neuroendocrine system, and ultimately by conducting experiments surrounding the impaired immune system of SCD. These experiments focused on the potential causes and effects of the diminution of B-1a cells in the SCD spleen. Adoptive transfers, infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae, and histologic imaging were conducted to establish if the diminution of the B-1a cells in the SCD spleen …

Borrelia Burgdorferi-Specific Iga In Lyme Disease, Christina D'Arco, Raymond Dattwyler, Paul Arnaboldi

NYMC Faculty Publications

The laboratory diagnosis of Lyme disease is currently dependent on the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of the disease. The significance of serum IgA against B. burgdorferi remains unclear. The production of intrathecal IgA has been noted in patients with the late Lyme disease manifestation, neuroborreliosis, but production of antigen-specific IgA during early disease has not been evaluated. In the current study, we assessed serum IgA binding to the B. burgdorferi peptide antigens, C6, the target of the FDA-cleared C6 EIA, and FlaB(211-223)-modVlsE(275-291), a peptide containing a Borrelia flagellin epitope linked to a …

Cloning And Expression Of C-Terminal Fragment Of Tonb From Rhizobium Leguminosarum Atcc 14479, Brooke E. Baxter

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The TonB-ExbB-ExbD complex is essential for the siderophore mediated acquisition of iron by Gram negative bacteria. The system provides energy from the proton motive force to the outer membrane in order for the iron siderophore complex to enter into the cell. The main protein involved in energy transduction, TonB, has been extensively studied in the species Escherichia Coli. It has been determined that the protein consists of 239 amino acids. In comparison, however, the TonB of Rhizobium leguminosarum consists of 457 amino acids with the same conserved regions. What is in question, therefore, is how the additional amino acids …

Determination Of The Effects That A Previously Uncharacterized Secreted Product From Klebsiella Pneumoniae Has On Citrobacter Freundii And Enterobacter Cloacae Biofilms, Cody M. Hastings

Undergraduate Honors Theses

More so than ever, Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) bacteria are on the rise due to overuse of antibiotics along with natural selection for adaptations that enhance drug-resistant properties. One particular bacterial family, Enterobacteriaceae, has been problematic, exhibiting several bacterial members that have developed a precipitous resistance to modern antibiotics and are also primary causative agents of nosocomial, or hospital acquired, infections. Citrobacter freundii (CF) and Enterobacter cloacae (ECL) are two species of the Enterobacteriaceae family causing significant medical concern due to their role in producing numerous opportunistic infections such as bacteremia, lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and endocarditis. …

Molecular Subtyping Of Staphylococcus Aureus Isolates From The U.P. Community For The Presence Of Toxin-Encoding Genes, Carol I. Kessel

All NMU Master's Theses

Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of human bacterial infections; however, humans can also be asymptomatically colonized with S. aureus. Asymptomatic carriers can potentially spread S. aureus infection to others. These infections can range from mild to severe. The pathology of a S. aureus infection is often dependent on which toxins are expressed and the virulence factors with which they are associated. One goal of this study was to isolate S. aureus from healthy, consenting adult volunteers who submitted nasal swabs for culture and qRT-PCR analysis to determine which strains are present in the community. This knowledge could …

Evaluating The Impact Of Post-Translational Modifications By The Secreted Zinc Metalloprotease, Gele, On The Major Autolysin Of E. Faecalis, Atla, And A Stress-Induced Protein, Salb, Emily K. Stinemetz

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

AtlA is the major peptidoglycan hydrolase of E. faecalis involved in cell separation of dividing cells. SalB is a secreted stress-induced protein regulated by the CroRS system. In addition, these two proteins also appear to be affected by the virulence factor, gelatinase (GelE). GelE is a secreted zinc metalloprotease known to impact various cellular functions by post- translational modification of protein substrates. The overall objective of this work was to understand how GelE cleavage of secreted proteins, specifically AtlA and SalB, changes their function. Herein, I discovered that GelE modifies both AtlA and SalB. As visualized by Western blot analysis …

Characterization Of The Role Of The Pkm101-Encoded T4ss Outer Membrane Core Complex In Substrate Transfer, Pilus Biogenesis, And Recipient Cell Contact, Jay E. Gordon

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SS) encoded on the Escherichia coli pKM101 and R388 conjugative plasmids and the Agrobacterium tumefaciens virB operon are composed of 12 subunits arranged in an architecturally similar fashion. Structural studies of the T4SS from R388 (Trw_R388) highlighted the presence of a distinct outer membrane core complex (OMCC) and inner membrane complex (IMC) joined together by a central stalk. This thesis is focused on the development of the pKM101 model system and the role of an OMCC cap region formed by alpha helical antenna projections (AP) found in VirB10 and TraF_pKM101. …

The Making Of A Pathogen: Implications Of Phage Domestication In Acinetobacter Baumannii, Allison Welp

Undergraduate Theses

Mutations and horizontal gene transfer have allowed for rapid evolution of many species of bacteria, allowing them to become more virulent and resistant to antibiotics. As a result of these changes, Acinetobacter baumannii has become one of the most prominent drug-resistant bacteria in hospitals. This nosocomial pathogen is capable of causing a range of infections—from pneumonia to sepsis—and is extremely difficult to eradicate from hospital settings. Despite its current status, this species has not always been apparent in healthcare. The emergence of this organism has been extremely rapid; once an innocuous environmental organism, A. baumannii is now resistant to all …

The Incidence Of Mrsa Infections In The United States: Is A More Comprehensive Tracking System Needed?, Kevin T. Kavanagh, Said Abusalem, Lindsay E. Calderon

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

A review of epidemiological studies on the incidence of MRSA infections overtime was performed along with an analysis of data available for download from Hospital Compare (https://data.medicare.gov/data/hospital-compare). We found the estimations of the incidence of MRSA infections varied widely depending upon the type of population studied, the types of infections captured and in the definitions and terminology used to describe the results. We could not find definitive evidence that the incidence of MRSA infections in U.S. community or facilities is decreasing significantly. Of concern are recent data reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) on MRSA bloodstream infections which …

Enhanced Control Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Extrapulmonary Dissemination In Mice By An Arabinomannan-Protein Conjugate Vaccine, R Prados-Rosales, L Carreno, T Cheng, C Blanc, B Weinrick, Aharona Glatman-Freedman, A Casadevall, S Hung, A Tripathi, J Xu, Aharona Glatman-Freedman, W Jacobs Jr., J Chan, S Porcelli, J Achkar, A Casadevall

NYMC Faculty Publications

Currently there are a dozen or so of new vaccine candidates in clinical trials for prevention of tuberculosis (TB) and each formulation attempts to elicit protection by enhancement of cell-mediated immunity (CMI). In contrast, most approved vaccines against other bacterial pathogens are believed to mediate protection by eliciting antibody responses. However, it has been difficult to apply this formula to TB because of the difficulty in reliably eliciting protective antibodies. Here, we developed capsular polysaccharide conjugates by linking mycobacterial capsular arabinomannan (AM) to either Mtb Ag85b or B. anthracis protective antigen (PA). Further, we studied their immunogenicity by ELISA and …

Draft Genome Sequences Of Three Closely Related Isolates Of The Purple Nonsulfur Bacterium Rhodovulum Sulfidophilum, Michael S. Guzman, Beau Mcginley, Natalia Santiago-Merced, Dinesh Gupta, Arpita Bose

Biology Faculty Research

We report here the draft genome sequences of three isolates of Rhodovulum sulfidophilum from a single population that will serve as a model system for understanding genomic traits that underlie metabolic variation within closely related marine purple nonsulfur bacteria in natural microbial communities.

Environmental Changes Turn On The Sinorhizobium Melitloti Exor-Exos/Chvi (Rsi) Host Invasion Switch, Shari N. Walcott

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The free-living Gram-negative soil bacterium, Sinorhizobium meliloti, must switch into its host-invading form in order to infect the root hairs of the host plant, alfalfa (Medicago sativa), and establish a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis. The activation of the switch is believed to occur inside the infection chamber that is formed by curling of the root hairs. It is not fully understood what signals in the environment of the root hairs trigger and infection chamber S. meliloti to switch into a host-invading form since these signals were not extensively examined until now. This switch can be observed directly, due to …