Non-B Dna-Forming Motifs Promote Mfd-Dependent Stationary-Phase Mutagenesis In Bacillus Subtilis,
2021
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Non-B Dna-Forming Motifs Promote Mfd-Dependent Stationary-Phase Mutagenesis In Bacillus Subtilis, Tatiana Ermi, Carmen Vallin, Ana Gabriela Regalado García, Moises Bravo, Ismaray Fernandez Cordero, Holly Anne Martin, Mario Pedraza-Reyes, Eduardo Robleto
Life Sciences Faculty Research
Transcription-induced mutagenic mechanisms limit genetic changes to times when expression happens and to coding DNA. It has been hypothesized that intrinsic sequences that have the potential to form alternate DNA structures, such as non-B DNA structures, influence these mechanisms. Non-B DNA structures are promoted by transcription and induce genome instability in eukaryotic cells, but their impact in bacterial genomes is less known. Here, we investigated if G4 DNA-and hairpin-forming motifs influence stationary-phase mutagenesis in Bacillus subtilis. We developed a system to measure the influence of non-B DNA on B. subtilis stationary-phase mutagenesis by deleting the wild-type argF at its chromosomal …
Draft Genome Sequences Of 13 Vibrio Cholerae Strains From The Rio Grande Delta,
2021
Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Draft Genome Sequences Of 13 Vibrio Cholerae Strains From The Rio Grande Delta, Jeffrey W. Turner, Jorge Duran-Gonzalez, David A. Laughlin, Daniel Unterweger, David Silva, Boris Ermolinsky, Stefan Pukatzki, Daniele Provenzano
Publications and Research
Vibrio cholerae is the etiologic agent of cholera, an acute and often fatal diarrheal disease that affects millions globally. We report the draft genome sequences of 13 non-O1/O139 V. cholerae strains isolated from the Rio Grande Delta in Texas. These genomes will aid future analyses of environmental serovars.
Antibiotic Resistance In Mucosal Bacteria From High Arctic Migratory Salmonids,
2021
Queens University - Kingston, ON
Antibiotic Resistance In Mucosal Bacteria From High Arctic Migratory Salmonids, Kristy Moniz, Virginia K. Walker, Vishal Shah
Biology Faculty Publications
Two related salmonids, Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) sampled from the high Arctic region of Nunavut, Canada are anadromous fish, migrating annually from the same ice-covered freshwater waterbodies to spend summers in the marine waters of the Arctic Ocean. Microbiota associated with the skin-associated mucus undergo community change coincident with migration, and irrespective of this turnover, antibiotic resistance was detected in mixed bacterial cultures initiated with mucus samples. Although as expected most bacteria were unculturable, however, 5/7 isolates showed susceptibility to a panel of five common antibiotics. The fish were sampled under severe conditions and at …
Investigating Distribution Of Legionella Pneumophila In Urban And Suburban Watersheds,
2021
CUNY Queens College
Investigating Distribution Of Legionella Pneumophila In Urban And Suburban Watersheds, Azlan Maqbool
Student Theses
The presence of Legionella pneumophila was assessed using a cultivation-based approach in New York City waterways, a freshwater portion of the lower Hudson River Estuary near Kingston NY, and in urban and suburban street water. Legionella pneumophila was detected in 51% of brackish New York City Estuary samples, most with concentrations near minimum detection (=>1 organism/ mL). In contrast, it was detected in 22% of suburban freshwater Hudson River Estuary samples. Levels of the bacterium were found to be higher during wet weather compared to dry weather in the highly dense urban setting, but not in the less dense …
Design, Synthesis, And Evaluation Of Carbapenem And Cephalosporin Antibiotics To Counter Resistant 21st Century Pathogens,
2021
Southern Methodist University
Design, Synthesis, And Evaluation Of Carbapenem And Cephalosporin Antibiotics To Counter Resistant 21st Century Pathogens, Maha Alqurafi
Chemistry Theses and Dissertations
Antibiotics represent one of mankind’s most important discoveries, enabling longer, more productive lives. Carbapenem antibiotics are one of the most potent classes of β-lactams and often represent the last resort used to treat patients who are seriously stricken by bacterial infections. Carbapenems possess a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity including efficacy against the majority of Gram-positive and Gram–negative bacteria. Unfortunately, the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains is posing a serious threat to existing antibiotics. New discoveries in the antibiotic field are desperately needed to counter the threat of rapidly evolving bacterial resistance. Despite the investment of billions of dollars, and …
Role And Regulation Of Staphylococcal Cell Death,
2021
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Role And Regulation Of Staphylococcal Cell Death, Abdulelah Ahmed Alqarzaee S
Theses & Dissertations
The transition from growth to stationary phase is a natural response of bacteria to starvation and stress. When stress is alleviated and more favorable growth conditions return, bacteria resume proliferation without a significant loss in fitness. Although specific adaptations that enhance persistence and survival of bacteria in stationary phase have been identified, mechanisms that help maintain the competitive fitness potential of non-dividing bacterial populations have remained obscure. This dissertation demonstrates that staphylococci entering stationary phase following growth in excess glucose undergo regulated cell death to maintain the competitive fitness potential of the population. Upon a decrease in extracellular pH, the …
Lipoxin A 4 (Lxa 4 ) Promotes Reduction And Antibiotic Efficacy Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilm,
2021
Rowan University
Lipoxin A 4 (Lxa 4 ) Promotes Reduction And Antibiotic Efficacy Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilm, Julianne M. Thornton, Jean Walker, Prem Yugandhar Kadiyam Sundarasivarao, Bernd Spur, Ana Rodriguez, Kingsley Yin
Rowan-Virtua Research Day
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P aeruginosa) is an opportunistic bacterium commonly found in wound infections and airways of cystic fibrosis patients P aeruginosa readily forms biofilms which can reduce the efficacy of antibiotics used to eradicate the pathogen We have previously shown that a Specialized Pro resolving Mediator ( Lipoxin A 4 (LxA 4 is a quorum sensing inhibitor which can reduce P aeruginosa virulence In this study, we examined the direct actions of LxA 4 and RvD 2 on P aeruginosa biofilm formation and virulence gene expression The influence of LxA 4 on antibiotic efficacy and the combined effects on biofilm …
Sickness Behaviors Across Vertebrate Taxa: Proximate And Ultimate Mechanisms,
2021
Chapman University
Sickness Behaviors Across Vertebrate Taxa: Proximate And Ultimate Mechanisms, Patricia C. Lopes, Susannah S. French, Douglas C. Woodhams, Sandra A. Binning
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
There is nothing like a pandemic to get the world thinking about how infectious diseases affect individual behavior. In this respect, sick animals can behave in ways that are dramatically different from healthy animals: altered social interactions and changes to patterns of eating and drinking are all hallmarks of sickness. As a result, behavioral changes associated with inflammatory responses (i.e. sickness behaviors) have important implications for disease spread by affecting contacts with others and with common resources, including water and/or sleeping sites. In this Review, we summarize the behavioral modifications, including changes to thermoregulatory behaviors, known to occur in vertebrates …
Genomics, Exometabolomics, And Metabolic Probing Reveal Conserved Proteolytic Metabolism Of Thermoflexus Hugenholtzii And Three Candidate Species From China And Japan,
2021
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Genomics, Exometabolomics, And Metabolic Probing Reveal Conserved Proteolytic Metabolism Of Thermoflexus Hugenholtzii And Three Candidate Species From China And Japan, Scott C. Thomas, Devon Payne, Kevin O. Tamadonfar, Cale O. Seymour, Jian Yu Jiao, Senthil K. Murugapiran, Dengxun Lai, Rebecca Lau, Benjamin P. Bowen, Leslie P. Silva, Katherine B. Louie, Marcel Huntemann, Alicia Clum, Alex Spunde, Manoj Pillay, Krishnaveni Palaniappan, Neha Varghese, Natalia Mikhailova, I. Min Chen, Dimitrios Stamatis, T. B.K. Reddy, Ronan O’Malley, Chris Daum, Nicole Shapiro, Natalia Ivanova, Nikos C. Kyrpides, Tanja Woyke, Emiley Eloe-Fadrosh, Trinity L. Hamilton, Paul Dijkstra, Brian P. Hedlund
Life Sciences Faculty Research
Thermoflexus hugenholtzii JAD2 , the only cultured representative of the Chloroflexota order Thermoflexales, is abundant in Great Boiling Spring (GBS), NV, United States, and close relatives inhabit geothermal systems globally. However, no defined medium exists for T. hugenholtzii JAD2 and no single carbon source is known to support its growth, leaving key knowledge gaps in its metabolism and nutritional needs. Here, we report comparative genomic analysis of the draft genome of T. hugenholtzii JAD2 and eight closely related metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from geothermal sites in China, Japan, and the United States, representing “Candidatus Thermoflexus japonica,” “Candidatus Thermoflexus tengchongensis,” and “Candidatus …
Purification Of Pcbp2 And Its Effect On The Formation Of Dna I-Motifs And Secondary Structures,
2021
University of Mississippi
Purification Of Pcbp2 And Its Effect On The Formation Of Dna I-Motifs And Secondary Structures, Nathan Redden
Honors Theses
Several secondary, non-B forms of DNA are associated with the promoter regions of many oncogenes, including the intensely studied c-MYC gene that codes for a transcription factor. Two such secondary structures, G-quadruplexes, and i-motifs, have become topics of interest due to their prevalence within oncogenic promoters, as well as their potential accessibility for drug targeting. B-form DNA can adopt alternative structures under certain conditions. These alternative structures are favored when there is an asymmetric distribution of guanosine and cytosine on complimentary DNA strands. The strand rich in guanosine is able to form a quadruple stranded DNA complex termed a G-quadruplex. …
Elucidating The Role Of The Msaabcr Operon In Persister Cells Formation And Stress Response In Staphylococcus Aureus,
2021
The University of Southern Mississippi
Elucidating The Role Of The Msaabcr Operon In Persister Cells Formation And Stress Response In Staphylococcus Aureus, Shanti Pandey
Dissertations
Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen that causes lethal systemic conditions such as infective endocarditis, osteomyelitis, sepsis and pneumonia. Chronic in nature, these diseases are often refractory to the antibiotic treatment. Such recalcitrance is mainly caused due to the presence of persister cells, which are a bacterial subpopulation that exhibits extreme, yet transient antibiotic tolerance accompanied by a transient halt in the growth. However, upon cessation of antibiotic treatment, resumption in growth of persister cells causes recurrence of infections and treatment failure, displaying tremendous clinical significance. In this study, we show the involvement of the msaABCR operon in persister …
Partial Expression Of The Vbss Gene In Rhizobium Leguminosarum Atcc 14479 And In-Silico Analysis Of The Vbs Gene Cluster In Various Microorganisms,
2021
East Tennessee State University
Partial Expression Of The Vbss Gene In Rhizobium Leguminosarum Atcc 14479 And In-Silico Analysis Of The Vbs Gene Cluster In Various Microorganisms, Afreen Siddiqui
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Iron is extremely important for many organisms. Despite its abundancy, it exists in insoluble forms that makes its usability difficult. Some organisms secrete siderophores, low molecular weight compounds, that can chelate iron and convert it into usable forms for cells. One such organism, Rhizobium leguminosarum, is a nitrogen fixing symbiont proteobacteria that infects leguminous plants. The genome of Rhizobium leguminosarum ATCC 14479, which infects the red clover, Trifoli pratense, has previously been completely sequenced in our lab. Our lab has identified several genes in this strain involved in the biosynthesis of a siderophore, vicibactin. The protein product of one of …
Phosphodiesterase D Is Involved In Bile Resistance In Listeria Monocytogenes,
2021
The University of Southern Mississippi
Phosphodiesterase D Is Involved In Bile Resistance In Listeria Monocytogenes, Sophia A. Ali
Honors Theses
Listeria monocytogenes is a deadly foodborne bacterium that is responsible for almost 20% of food-related deaths in the United States. Listeria monocytogenes contaminates ready-to-eat products such as cheese, deli meat, and ice cream. Once ingested, it invades the intestinal lining and can enter the bloodstream, causing listeriosis. There is a gap in the knowledge of the pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes in how it is able to survive in the gastrointestinal tract in the presence of bile, which has bactericidal properties. Previous studies have suggested that the second messenger cyclic-dimeric-GMP may be involved in the regulation of virulence factors of Listeria. …
Pathogenicity Of Staphylococcus Agnetis Associated With Lame Broilers With Osteomyelitis,
2021
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Pathogenicity Of Staphylococcus Agnetis Associated With Lame Broilers With Osteomyelitis, Sura Faris Salih Zaki
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
We developed High Resolution Melt Analysis (HERMA) as a rapid and reliable molecular diagnostic assay for the detection and identification of the main bacterial species recovered from the blood and lesions of bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) from the lame broilers at the University of Arkansas poultry research farm. Also, the present study confirms that raising young birds on suspended wire flooring has been proved to successfully induce lameness attributable to BCO with birds being more susceptible to bacteraemia than those that were raised on litter flooring. The newly described pathogen, Staphylococcus agnetis, has been reported to be overrepresented in …
Increasing The Frequency Of Periodic Spatial Disturbance Decreases Surface Attachment Protein Expression In Staphylococcus Aureus,
2021
Nova Southeastern University
Increasing The Frequency Of Periodic Spatial Disturbance Decreases Surface Attachment Protein Expression In Staphylococcus Aureus, Ivana M. Barraza
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause a variety of acute and chronic illnesses. The severity of these illnesses such as sepsis, necrotizing pneumonia, and toxic shock syndrome is measured through the virulence that S. aureus inflicts on its host. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is commonly associated with secondary infections and is challenging to treat given the limited selection of antibiotics that are effective against it. Accordingly, novel approaches to reduce S. aureus pathogenicity are required. S. aureus regulates pathogenesis through a cell-to-cell communication system referred to as quorum sensing. Effective communication determines the production of two broad …
The Anti-Sigma Factor Muca Is Required For Viability In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa,
2021
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The Anti-Sigma Factor Muca Is Required For Viability In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Melissa C. Schofield, Daniela Q. Rodriguez, Amanda A. Kidman, Erin K. Cassin, Lia A. Michaels, Elizabeth A. Campbell, Peter A. Jorth, Boo Shan Tseng
Teaching and Learning Faculty Research
During decades-long infections in the cystic fibrosis (CF) airway, Pseudomonas aeruginosa undergoes selection. One bacterial genetic adaptation often observed in CF isolates is mucA mutations. MucA inhibits the sigma factor AlgU. Mutations in mucA lead to AlgU misregulation, resulting in a mucoid phenotype that is associated with poor CF disease outcomes. Due to its ability to be mutated, mucA is assumed to be dispensable for bacterial viability. Here we show that, paradoxically, a portion of mucA is essential in P. aeruginosa. We demonstrate that mucA is no longer required in a strain lacking algU, that mucA alleles encoding for proteins …
Project Alien,
2021
Duquesne University
Project Alien, Rebecca Mccallin, Madelyn Hoying, Alex Evans, Matthew Nestler, Karli Rae Sutton, Garett Craig, Lucia Secaia Del Cid, Alexander Guy, Rachel Fernandez, Amanda Trusiak, Paige Aley, Ingabire Gakwerere, Nina Dorfner, Maria Mosbacher, Mary Flavin, Selvin Hernandez, Audrey Steen, Benjamin Kazimer
Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium
Project ALIEN is a comprehensive plan to send humans to Mars to look for life on the Martian surface while exploring the viability and adaptability of terrestrial microbes in Martian atmospheric conditions. ALIEN will use a ballistic capture trajectory to get to Mars and stay in aerostationary orbit for a 30-day surface mission, during which two surface crewmembers will perform a variety of experiments to achieve the mission’s goals of Martian microbial discovery within brines of the Gale Crater and terrestrial microbe adaptability and viability to Martian conditions. Experimentation is based on the presumption that Martian microbes are metabolically similar …
B12: The T Cell Co-Receptor Cd5 Alters Mouse Behavior And Gut Microbiome Composition,
2021
Brigham Young University
B12: The T Cell Co-Receptor Cd5 Alters Mouse Behavior And Gut Microbiome Composition, Kyle Reaveley
Annual Research Symposium
No abstract provided.
Effectiveness Of Pathogen-Specific Passive Antibodies To Mitigate Infectious Diseases In Apis Mellifera,
2021
University of South Dakota
Effectiveness Of Pathogen-Specific Passive Antibodies To Mitigate Infectious Diseases In Apis Mellifera, Tanner Nordseth
Honors Thesis
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are widely recognized as a vital part of the global ecosystem and the world's food supply due to their pivotal role in the pollination of both natural and agricultural flora. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is an emerging phenomenon characterized by a colony's worker bees deserting the hive and leaving the queen behind. This usually results in colony failure. CCD is a multifactorial issue, with many environmental stressors and pathogens playing a role. Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) has been identified as a leading cause in this phenomenon. Paenibacillus larvae (P. larvae) is another lethal pathogen that is …
Bacterial Cyclic Diguanylate Signaling Networks Sense Temperature,
2021
University of Calgary
Bacterial Cyclic Diguanylate Signaling Networks Sense Temperature, Henrik Almblad, Trevor E. Randall, Fanny Liu, Katherine Leblanc, Ryan A. Groves, Weerayuth Kittichotirat, Geoffrey L. Winsor, Nicolas Fournier, Emily Au, Julie Groizeleau, Jacquelyn D. Rich, Yuefei Lou, Elise Granton, Laura K. Jennings, Larissa A. Singletary, Tara M.L. Winstone, Nathan M. Good, Roger E. Bumgarner, Michael F. Hynes, Manu Singh, Maria Silvina Stietz, Fiona S.L. Brinkman, Ayush Kumar, Ann Karen Cornelia Brassinga, Matthew R. Parsek, Boo Shan Tseng, Ian A. Lewis, Bryan G. Yipp, Justin L. Maccallum, Joe Jonathan Harrison
Life Sciences Faculty Research
Many bacteria use the second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) to control motility, biofilm production and virulence. Here, we identify a thermosensory diguanylate cyclase (TdcA) that modulates temperature-dependent motility, biofilm development and virulence in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. TdcA synthesizes c-di-GMP with catalytic rates that increase more than a hundred-fold over a ten-degree Celsius change. Analyses using protein chimeras indicate that heat-sensing is mediated by a thermosensitive Per-Arnt-SIM (PAS) domain. TdcA homologs are widespread in sequence databases, and a distantly related, heterologously expressed homolog from the Betaproteobacteria order Gallionellales also displayed thermosensitive diguanylate cyclase activity. We propose, therefore, that thermotransduction …
