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The Characterization Of A Putative Virulence Factor Expressed By Sneathia Amnii, Amy Sanford

Theses and Dissertations

Preterm birth, defined at birth before 37 weeks gestation, affects millions of newborns worldwide every year. Preterm birth is a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality. One major cause of preterm birth is preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), which can be triggered by bacterial infection and inflammation. A bacterial species that has been implicated in preterm birth and other obstetric complications is Sneathia amnii. The goals of this study were to observe cytopathogenic effects caused by S. amnii strain Sn35 and identify putative virulence factors causing those effects. Sn35 was able to adhere to, invade, and damage/kill …