Microbiology Commons^™

Antimicrobial Potential Of Selected Actinomycetes Isolated From The Marine Ecosystem., Nur Rahimatul Hayati Abdul Rahman

Student Works (2010-2019)

Actinomycetes are widespread in marine ecosystem. They are of interest in research field as they are capable to produce bioactive secondary metabolites which can be developed into useful pharmaceutical products. An example of the product is antibiotics which can be used to treat infectious diseases. The potential of antibacterial and antifungal activity of eleven marine derived actinomycetes from the genus Streptomyces were studied. They were tested against bacteria Enterobacter faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pleisiomonas shigelloides and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungi Candida parapsilosis and Candida albicans. Primary screening by the cross streak method and secondary screening by diffusion using paper …

Study Of Bacterial Diversity In The Oral Cavity Of Malaysian Subjects., Teoh Wuen Yew

Student Works (2010-2019)

About 700 species of bacteria can inhabit the human oral cavity. This project initially investigated the bacterial diversity within the oral cavity of Malaysian subjects by using culture-dependent techniques and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The second part of the research profiled the antibiotic resistance of the identified oral bacteria by the Etest method. Three sampling sites of the oral cavity from nine healthy subjects were analyzed: the tooth surface, gingival crevice, and dorsum of the tongue. The tooth surface was shown to harbor 41 species, gingival crevice harbored 51 species and tongue dorsum 41 species. On average, each subject carried …

Application Of Pcr-Based Serogrouping Of Salmonella Enterica., Mohammed Elbagir Mohammed Elhassan Nori

Student Works (2010-2019)

Serotyping is the most fundamental approach in epidemiological surveillance and outbreak investigations for Salmonella. Many multiplex PCR assays have been reported for serotyping Salmonella based on O and H antigens. The aim of this study was to apply and improve the approach in differentiation and serotyping Salmonella enterica strains by combination of sequential multiplex PCRs targeting the O, H and Vi antigens of Salmonella, and this achieved by working on 126 strains. All the strains were purified on BSA and produced black colonies of Salmonella. The strains were confirmed by PCR amplification gene that targets the hilA. 122 of 126 …

Visible And Hyperspectral Imaging Systems For The Detection And Discrimination Of Mechanical And Microbiological Damage Of Mushrooms, Edurne Gaston

Doctoral

Horticultural products such as mushrooms are exposed to environmental conditions during their postharvest life, which may affect product quality. Loss of whiteness during storage is particularly important in the mushroom industry. Rough handling and distribution, fruiting body senescence and bacterial infections are among the main causes of mushroom discolouration. The aim of this work was to study the use of visible and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) systems for the detection and discrimination of mechanical and microbiological damage of mushrooms. This piece of research involved a) monitoring the browning of mushroom with visible computer imaging systems, b) investigating the effect of mechanical …

Increased Perfusion And Angiogenesis In A Hindlimb Ischemia Model With Plasmid Fgf-2 Delivered By Noninvasive Electroporation, B. Ferraro, Y. L. Cruz, M. Baldwin, D. Coppola, R. Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

Gene therapy approaches delivering fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) have shown promise as a potential treatment for increasing blood flow to ischemic limbs. Currently, effective noninvasive techniques to deliver plasmids encoding genes of therapeutic interest, such as FGF-2, are limited. We sought to determine if intradermal injection of plasmid DNA encoding FGF-2 (pFGF) followed by noninvasive cutaneous electroporation (pFGFE+) could increase blood flow and angiogenesis in a rat model of hindlimb ischemia. pFGFE+ or control treatments were administered on postoperative day 0. Compared to injection of pFGF alone (pFGFE-), delivery of pFGFE+ significantly increased FGF-2 expression for 10 days. Further, the …

Analysing The Effects Of Loss Of Sin3 In Drosophila Melanogaster, Aishwarya Swaminathan

Wayne State University Dissertations

Sin3A has been previously shown to be an essential gene for Drosophila viability and is implicated in the regulation of cell cycle. In this study, we show that SIN3 is not only required for embryonic viability but also for post-embryonic development. Genetic analysis suggests that the different isoforms of SIN3 may regulate unique sets of genes during development. The developmental lethality occurring due to ubiquitous knock down of SIN3 is hypothesized to be to the result of defects in cell proliferation. Conditional knock down of SIN3 in the wing discs results in a curly wing phenotype in the adult fly. …

Immunomodulatory Effect Of Host And Fungal Eicosanoids During Host-Pathogen Interactions With Candida Albicans, Gitanjali Kundu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Candida albicans, an opportunistic fungal pathogen, poses a significant clinical threat to immunocompromised patients. Diseases associated with this fungus ranges from superficial mucosal infection to life-threatening systemic candidiasis. The mechanisms by which Candida persists at mucosal surfaces in the face of an adaptive response are unclear. Candida produces immunomodulatory oxylipins that cross-react functionally with host eicosanoids, which are considered to play important role in regulating innate and adaptive immune responses. Our objective was to characterize the role of prostaglandins produced by the host and this fungus during host pathogen interactions, both in vitro with dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages, and …

Detection And Molecular Characterisation Of Rotavirus, Adenovirus And Bocavirus Circulating In Southern Ireland, Olivia Cashman

Theses

This study reports the detection and molecular characterisation of group A rotavirus circulating in the south of Ireland in both the bovine and human population. Characterisation of the group A rotavirus was carried out through the extraction of viral nucleic acid in faecal specimens collected from hospitals in the Cork and Waterford area and Cork regional veterinary laboratory from 2006-2009. Other gastroenteritis viruses characterised during this study include adenovirus type 41, and the newly identified gastrointestinal virus, human bocavirus, which was identified for the first time in Ireland during this study. The human bocaviruses identified in children in the south …

Identification And Molecular Characterisation Of Mycobacteriophages And Their Lysis Proteins, Marine Henry

Theses

Given their potential as specific and natural biocontrol agents, bacteriophages and their associated proteins have become the focus of renewed interest over the last decade. This study reviews the current state of mycobacterial diseases control worldwide and presents how phage therapy and the production of recombinant bacteriophage lysis proteins can be applied as novel biocontrol strategies for mycobacteria.

Chapter 11 presents an overview of the predicted LysA and LysB proteins in all the mycobacteriophages sequenced to date and proposes an in silico 3D predictive model of the lysin B of a recently isolated and characterised mycobacteriophage. Our data also confirms …

The Rapid Identification Of Novel Anti-Mycobacterial Drugs And The Transporters Involved In Their Resistance, James Carroll

Theses

Despite the success of anti-mycobacterial drugs over the past 70 years, mycobacterial disease, particularly tuberculosis is still responsible for millions of deaths worldwide. Additionally, the emergence of Multidrug Resistant (MDR-TB) and Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR-TB) Tuberculosis throughout the world has motivated calls by the World Health Organization for novel mycobacterial drugs, vaccines and diagnostic tests. Consequently, this study sought to identify and evaluate the efficacy of a range of anti-mycobacterial compounds against a representative cohort of pathogenic mycobacterial species. The development and employment of the rapid, robust and inexpensive microtitre alamarBlue assay (MABA) facilitated the assessment of a vast array …

Phage Lysins - Structure, Genetics And Applications, Jennifer Garry

Theses

Antibiotics are of the utmost importance in the fight against pathogenic bacteria, however, in recent years there has been a continual increase in the development of antibiotic resistance among bacteria. As a result it has become essential to develop new technologies to combat these pathogens. One such technology is the application of phage lysins as antimicrobial agents against pathogenic infections. A promising phage lysin is LysK, a 495 amino-acid protein derived from Staphylococcal Phage K. LysK can lyse a wide range of staphylococcal species including MRSA. It is also capable of killing both live and dead cells increasing its potential …

Biosynthesis Of Exopolysaccharides From Lactic Acid Bacteria And Evaluation Of Their Prebiotic Potential, Colette Ann Forde

Theses

In this study, two strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) namely Weissella kimchii F28 and W. confusa MGl were used for the production of exopolysaccharides (EPS) from sucrose. Both strains produced glucan polysaccharides. In the case of W. kimchii F28, the EPS isolation procedure was performed six times, making modifications in order to optimize the yield of EPS. The maximum yield of EPS for this strain was 16 g per litre of culture. In the case of W. confusa MGl, the EPS isolation procedure was followed five times, resulting in a maximum yield of EPS for this strain of 34.4 …

Isolation And Molecular Characterization Of Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis In Ireland, Pierre Emmanuel Douarre

Theses

MAP is a proven animal pathogen causing Johne's disease, one of the most widespread and economically important diseases of ruminants. Since 1992 and the opening of the European market, the prevalence of MAP in Ireland has increased considerably. Improvements in diagnostic strategies for Ireland and elsewhere are urgently required. MAP infects a wide host range and has emerged as a potential threat to human health and has been associated with Crohn's disease. The control of paratuberculosis infection requires a better understanding of the genetic diversity of the pathogen. The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize this enteric …

Detection And Molecular Characterization Of Canine Enteric Viruses In Southern Ireland., Susan Mcelligott

Theses

Enteric viruses, such as canine parvovirus (CPV) and canine coronavirus (CCoV), are a major cause of gastroenteritis in dogs. More serious clinical symptoms occur in young pups, or when both of these viruses infect an animal simultaneously. Caliciviruses and rotaviruses can also cause gastroenteritis in dogs, but these viruses, while causing significant problems in other animal species and humans, are considered to be less significant pathogens of canines. However, on occasion, these viruses have been reported to produce severe clinical symptoms such as vomiting, haemorrhagic enteritis and severe dehydration.

Many viral vaccines for canines are formulated using old vaccine viral …

Antagonistic Activity Of Selected Marine-Derived Streptomyces Spp. Against Plesiomonas Shigelloides., Angelyn Melaya Kloni

Student Works (2010-2019)

In this study, primary and secondary screenings were conducted to evaluate the antibacterial and anti-yeast potential of the eleven selected marine-derived Streptomyces spp., particularly against P. shigelloides. The strains were categorized into three colour groups for morphological grouping according to the colour of aerial mycelium; namely grey, yellow green, and white colour groups. Diffusible pigments were produced by eight of the strains tested. Strain(s) from grey and white with red diffusible pigments colour groups displayed strong antibacterial activity. The yeasts tested were resistant to the bioactive metabolite(s) produced by some of the Streptomyces spp. which had shown high activity against …

Soil Organic Matter Fractions And Aggregate Distribution In Response To Tall Fescue Stands, I. P. Handayani, Mark S. Coyne, R. S. Tokosh

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The study was conducted to evaluate the influences of tall fescue management on soil organic matter fractions and macro- and microaggregate distribution. Soil samples were collected from four paired adjacent fields consisting of five years of tall fescue mono and poly stands in Western Kentucky. Soil samples from 0 to 15 cm and 15 to 30 cm soil depths were analyzed for soil organic C and N, particulate organic matter C (POM-C) and N (POM-N), macro- and micro aggregate distribution and C-associated with macro- and micro- aggregates. Significant effects were observed between stands for all the properties, except total C, …

The Im-9 Cell Line: A Model For Evaluating Tcdd-Induced Modulation Of The Polymorphic Human Hs1,2 Enhancer Within The 3' Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Regulatory Region, Ruth C. Chambers-Turner

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a disrupter, of B-cell differentiation, induces binding of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) nuclear complex to dioxin responsive elements (DRE) within the mouse immunoglobulin heavy chain regulatory region (3'IgHRR), and produces a marked inhibition of 3'IgHRR activation, IgH expression, and antibody secretion in a well-characterized mouse B-cell line (CH12.LX). The mouse 3'IgHRR consists of at least four enhancers (hs3a; hs1,2; hs3b; hs4), and is highly homologous with the three enhancers (hs3; hs1,2; hs4) of the human 3'IgHRR. A polymorphism of the human hs1,2 enhancer (resulting in varying numbers of tandem repeats containing a DRE and κB site) has …

Rev Interacts With Tubulin Heterodimers To Cause Cell Cycle Defects, Poornima Kotha Lakshmi Narayan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Rev is a regulatory protein that plays an important role in the replication of HIV virus by post-transcriptionally promoting expression of viral proteins late in infection. Rev expression also slows cell growth, leads to an accumulation of cells in G2/M specifically before the spindle checkpoint, and can produce changes in ploidy. Because Rev is capable of depolymerizing microtubules (MTs) in vitro, possibly by a mechanism shared with Kinesin-13 proteins, themselves potent cellular MT depolymerases, I tested the hypothesis that these cellular defects were due to an interaction between Rev and tubulin.

To this end, Rev and select Rev mutants defective …

Neuroaids In Africa, Kevin Robertson, Jeff Liner, James Hakim, Jean-Louis Sankalé, Igor Grant, Scott Letendre, David Clifford, Amadou Gallo Diop, Assan Jaye, Georgette Kanmogne, Alfred Njamnshi, T. Dianne Langford, Tufa Gemechu Weyessa, Charles Wood, Mwanza Banda, Mina Hosseinipour, Ned Sacktor, Noeline Nakasuja, Paul Bangirana, Robert Paul, John Joska, Joseph Wong, Michael Boivin, Penny Holding, Betsy Kammerer, Annelies Van Rie, Prudence Ive, Avindra Nath, Kathy Lawler, Clement Adebamowo, Walter Royal Iii, Jeymohan Joseph

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

In July 2009, the Center for Mental Health Research on AIDS at the National Institute of Mental Health organized and supported the meeting “NeuroAIDS in Africa.” This meeting was held in Cape Town, South Africa, and was affiliated with the 5th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention. Presentations began with an overview of the epidemiology of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, the molecular epidemiology of HIV, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HANDs), and HAND treatment. These introductory talks were followed by presentations on HAND research and clinical care in Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, …

Quantitative Pcr Assay For Mycobacterium Pseudoshottsii And Mycobacterium Shottsii And Application To Environmental Samples And Fishes From The Chesapeake Bay, D. T. Gauthier, K. S. Reece, J. Xiao, M. W. Rhodes, H. I. Kator, R. J. Latour, C. F. Bonzek, J. M. Hoenig, W. K. Vogelbein

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in the Chesapeake Bay are currently experiencing a very high prevalence of mycobacteriosis associated with newly described Mycobacterium species, Mycobacterium pseudoshottsii and M. shottsii. The ecology of these mycobacteria outside the striped bass host is currently unknown. In this work, we developed quantitative real-time PCR assays for M. pseudoshottsii and M. shottsii and applied these assays to DNA extracts from Chesapeake Bay water and sediment samples, as well as to tissues from two dominant prey of striped bass, Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) and bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli). Mycobacterium …