Physiology Commons^™

Carnitine And O-Acylcarnitines In Pseudomonas Aerguinosa: Metabolism, Transport, And Regulation, Jamie Meadows

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is found in numerous environments and is an opportunistic pathogen affecting those who are immunocompromised. Its large genome encodes tremendous metabolic and regulatory diversity that enables P. aeruginosa to adapt to various environments. We are interested in how P. aeruginosa senses and responds to the host-derived compounds, carnitine and acylcarnitines. Acylcarnitines can be hydrolyzed to carnitine, where the liberated carnitine and its catabolic product glycine betaine can be used as osmoprotectants, for induction of the virulence factor phospholipase C, and as sole carbon, nitrogen, and energy sources. P. aeruginosa is incapable of de novo synthesis of carnitine and …