Microbiology Commons^™

Effect Of Various Types Of Extracellular Dna On V Hyugaensis Biofilm Formation, Carmen Gu Liu, Anthony W Maresso

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Marine bacteria face a constant influx of new extracellular DNA (exDNA) due to the massive viral lysis that occurs in the ocean on a daily basis. Generally, biofilms have shown to be induced by self-secreted exDNA. However, the effect of various types of exDNA with varying lengths, self vs non-self, as well as guanine-cytosine content (GC) content on biofilm formation has not been explored, despite being a critical component of the extracellular polymeric substance. To test the effect of such exDNA on biofilms, a marine bioluminescent bacterium (Vibrio hyugaensis) was isolated from the Sippewissett Salt Marsh, USA, and …

Sero-Epidemiology Of Rotavirus Gastroenteritis In Children In Ilorin, Kwara State, Omosigho Omoruyi Pius, Izevbuwa Osazee Ekundayo, Saheed Ibrahim Damilare

Journal of Bioresource Management

Rotavirus is responsible for the most severe dehydrating diarrhea among young children due to gastroenteritis. In this study, we aimed to ascertain the occurrence of childhood gastroenteritis caused by Rotavirus among infants and young children who are younger than 5 years of age in Ilorin, Kwara State and determined the risk factors posing the challenges to be susceptible to diarrhea associated with rotavirus in Ilorin, Kwara State. Diarrhea stool samples were collected from children who passed watery stools, who met predetermined inclusion criteria and who presented at the study hospitals Viz: General Hospital and Specialist Hospital Alagbado and Children Specialist …

Additive Effects Of Cyclic Peptide [R4w4] When Added Alongside Azithromycin And Rifampicin Against Mycobacterium Avium Infection, Melissa Kelley, Kayvan Sasaninia, Arbi Abnousian, Ali Badaoui, James Owens, Abrianna Beever, Nala Kachour, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari, Vishwanath Venketaraman

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Mycobacterium avium (M. avium), a type of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), poses a risk for pulmonary infections and disseminated infections in immunocompromised individuals. Conventional treatment consists of a 12-month regimen of the first-line antibiotics rifampicin and azithromycin. However, the treatment duration and low antibiotic tolerability present challenges in the treatment of M. avium infection. Furthermore, the emergence of multidrug-resistant mycobacterium strains prompts a need for novel treatments against M. avium infection. This study aims to test the efficacy of a novel antimicrobial peptide, cyclic [R4W4], alongside the first-line antibiotics azithromycin and rifampicin in reducing M. avium survival. Colony-forming unit (CFU) …

Investigating Putative Toxin-Immunity Pairs From A New Class Of Rhs Proteins In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Syed Faieq Imam

Master's Theses

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative, opportunistic pathogen that is ubiquitous in nature, especially in human/animal impacted environments. One of the reasons for this is the arsenal of protein systems and toxins that P. aeruginosa utilizes to mold its environment to suit its needs. Recently, we discovered a novel locus in the P. aeruginosa genome, which resembles other loci that are known to mediate interbacterial competition. Our bioinformatic analysis found this locus to be enriched in a rearrangement hotspot (rhs) motif which led us to ad-interim term the three ORFs of the loci as rhsB, rhsC, and rhsI. Furthermore, we have …

Mutation-Induced Changes In The Stability, B-Cell Epitope, And Antigenicity Of The Sars-Cov-2 Variant Spike Protein: A Comparative Computational Stud, Nira Meirita Wijayanti, Muhammad Hermawan Widyananda, Lailil Muflikhah, Nashi Widodo

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The spike (S) protein is a major antigenicity site that targets neutralizing antibodies and drugs. The growing number of S protein mutations has become a severe problem for developing effective vaccines. Here, we investigated four severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants that were the most infectious and widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine the trends and patterns of mutation-induced changes in the stability, B-cell epitope, and antigenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein. The data showed that the Beta and Gamma variants had three mutations on the receptor-binding domain (RBD), which is the specific site on the S …

Understanding And Quantifying Bioaerosol Fate Within The Aerobiological Pathway: Physical Transport, Environmental Decay, And Mitigation, Sean Kinahan

Theses & Dissertations

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for better tools to understand and characterize phases of the aerobiological pathway, a model for understanding how infectious bioaerosols are sourced, generated, transported, deposit, and affect human health. This dissertation presents validation of methodologies for studying transport of airborne biological agents and variations on their consequences, especially focusing on their physical and chemical fate. Chapter 1 focuses on a parallel comparison of two methods of aging bioaerosols in real-world outdoor environments with complex sunlight, atmospheric chemistry, and pollutants. Both capture on microfibers and the use of Goldberg rotating drums to keep a …

Author Correction: Membrane Translocation Process Revealed By In Situ Structures Of Type Ii Secretion System Secretins, Zhili Yu, Yaoming Wu, Muyuan Chen, Tong Huo, Wei Zheng, Steven J Ludtke, Xiaodong Shi, Zhao Wang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Investigating Transcriptional Anomalies During Persistence In Chlamydia Trachomatis, Nathan D. Hatch

Theses & Dissertations

Chlamydia trachomatis (Ctr) is the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections. Ctr, a Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium, develops within a membrane-bound vacuole termed an inclusion. This protective, nutrient rich, intracellular environment has allowed Ctr to undergo extensive reductive evolution – resulting in a streamlined genome of approximately 1 Mbp and the loss or fragmentation of several biosynthetic pathways, including the ability to synthesize tryptophan (Trp) de novo. During infection, the host immune system releases the cytokine IFNγ. Upon binding to a host cell, IFNγ stimulates the expression of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, an enzyme capable of catabolizing cytosolic Trp, thereby starving …

Investigating Potential Indicators Of Soil Health Through Microbiome Response To Environmental And Anthropogenic Stressors, Austin Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Traditionally, the analysis of soil health has overlooked the biological component of soil due to poor understanding of connections between the microbiome and empirically measured soil health indicators. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on the soil microbiome, with the aim of identifying measurable soil biological indicators. Chosen soils were examined under distinct conditions to evaluate the effect of selected environmental and anthropogenic stressors on the microbiome. Soil biological responses were analyzed via enzymatic response, microbial functional genes, and microbial community. Environmental factors such as soil moisture and organic matter showed …

Evaluating The Immunogenicity Of Colonization Proteins Of S. Pneumoniae For Identification Of Vaccine Candidates, Isidora Fereday

Theses and Dissertations

Streptococcus pneumoniae is typically an asymptomatic colonizer of the upper respiratory tract but can cause invasive disease in susceptible populations. Pneumococcal vaccines which are currently in use have failed to significantly reduce colonization by S. pneumoniae. To control invasive pneumococcal disease, novel strategies must be utilized. One such strategy is to reduce or eradicate colonization by pneumococcus. Supplementary vaccination with pneumococcal proteins important for colonization could serve to prime the immune system against these targets. This study serves as an initial step towards identification of crucial pneumococcal colonization proteins which may previously have been uncharacterized. Assessing the immune reactivity …

Nutritional Strategies To Reduce Salmonella Enteritidis Infections In Laying Hens: Prebiotic, Probiotic, And Precision Biotics, Ishab Poudel

Theses and Dissertations

Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infections in laying hens is a significant cause of foodborne illness linked to the consumption of contaminated eggs. This dissertation encompasses novel strategies aimed to explore appropriate in-vitro and in-vivo models to evaluate the effects of these novel strategies to reduce SE in laying hens. Firstly, we investigated the potential probiotics, prebiotics, and essential oil combinations to reduce SE in-vitro. The results showed that probiotics and prebiotics are equally effective to reduce SE. In subsequent studies, we evaluated the role of vaccination history on cecal microbiota and SE infections with various doses of oral SE challenge. …

Use Of Comparative Genomics And In Vitro Screening Approach To Identify Vaccine Candidates For The Food-Borne Pathogen Campylobacter Jejuni, Sabin Poudel

Theses and Dissertations

Campylobacteriosis is a leading foodborne illness worldwide, primarily caused by Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) which is associated with poultry consumption. The emergence of antibiotic resistance has emphasized the need for alternative strategies to control C. jejuni colonization in poultry. To assess the prevalence of C. jejuni in poultry, 270 cloacal swab samples were collected from broilers raised under No-Antibiotics Ever system. Among these samples, 16.3% were identified as C. jejuni positive. Notably, these isolates exhibited a diverse range of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes, with 61.36% of isolates showing hyper-motile and 20.45% demonstrating multidrug resistance. Following isolation, whole genome …

Evaluation Of The Virulence Potential Of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia Coli Isolated From Broiler Breeders With Colibacillosis In Mississippi, Jiddu Joseph

Theses and Dissertations

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a bacterium that is responsible for colibacillosis in birds. However, information about broiler breeder APEC isolates is limited, but the data is critical due to the transfer of this bacteria down the production pyramid to progenies resulting in high mortality. Therefore, we evaluated the phenotypic virulence characteristics of 28 isolates using embryo lethality and day-old chick challenge assays. Also, the in vitro adhesion and invasion potential of selected nine isolates were identified. Results showed more than 1/3^rd of the isolates were highly virulent and the virulence increased as the number of virulence-associated genes …

Evaluating The Role Of The Bovine Vaginal Microbiome In Neonatal And Maternal Health Outcomes, Riley D. Messman

Theses and Dissertations

The dam vaginal microbiota is the first major microbial inoculating community within the neonate. The composition of the dam vaginal microbiota has implications in calf commensal microbiota development. Alterations of the dam microbial community prior to parturition could alter inoculating communities and immune responses in both the dam and calf. Thus, authors aimed to elucidate the microbial community composition of the bovine dam vaginal and calf nasal microbiota post-partum after utilizing betadine lavages (BL). The dam vaginal and calf nasal microbial communities and immune responses were evaluated at 0-, 15-, 30- and 60-day post-partum. Microbiota composition of the dam haircoat, …

Analyzing Pseudomonas Aeruginosa With Bacteriophage Tags Using Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry, Jennifer C. Schinke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of daily bacterial infections is climbing and the CDC explains that this is due to the antibiotic-resistant threat in the United States. Finding a faster way of bacterial identification is necessary as it currently takes 1-4 days for a medical lab to culture and identify bacteria. Photoacoustic flow cytometry (PAFC) can be used as an alternative method resulting in swift identification within an hour (Edgar, 2019). Pseudomonas aeruginosa, cell line PA01, will be coated in up to a few hundred red dyed phages making it detectible by the photoacoustic flow cytometry system. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that …

Spatial Structure Formation By The Post-Transcriptional Gene Regulator Rsme In Pseudomonas Fluorescens Pf0-1, Anton Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microorganisms are often found in microbial communities we call biofilms. Organisms living in these crowded environments have significant evolutionary pressure to retain access to the resources necessary to sustain life. My research uses the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf0-1 to study how organisms evolve strategies to solve this crowding problem as aging colonies repeatedly generate mutant patches. These mutants expand the reach of the colony resulting in decreased local density as they push themselves up to the resource rich surface. These spatial structures result from social interactions between the mutant and the parental cells mediated through extracellular secretions, resulting in the …

Glycerophosphocholine Is Used For Lipid And Phosphate Metabolism By Candida Albicans, Will King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The metabolism of phosphatidylcholine (PC), a major eukaryotic membrane lipid, has been shown to be an important aspect of pathogenesis in Candida albicans. Of note, PC turnover product, glycerophosphocholine (GPC), is abundant renal metabolite available within the host. GPC is readily imported by C. albicans, and deletion of the major GPC transporter, Git3, leads to decreased virulence in a bloodstream infection model. Here I have characterized two potential metabolic fates of internalized GPC. The first metabolic fate explored is internalized GPC can be hydrolyzed to release P_i. To determine if GPC import and subsequent metabolism impact phosphate …

Sensing The Rhizosphere: Microbial Transcriptome Responses To Root Exudates And Redox-Active Metabolites, Ankita Bhattacharyya

Dissertations

The term “rhizosphere” describes the dynamic interface between plant roots and soil influenced by root exudates. It is a hotspot of microbial activity, plant-microbe, and microbe-microbe interactions. Distinct variations in bacterial diversity are thought to be driven by plant root exudates. However, the molecular details of these processes still remain unclear.

I addressed this gap by focusing on two strains, Pseudomonas synxantha 2-79 and Burkholderia lata 383, representing diverse groups of Gammaproteobacteria comprised of species with environmental, agricultural, and medical significance. In the first part of this project, we used a combination of metabolomics and RNA-seq to characterize transcriptome responses …

Elucidating Acetate Metabolism: Identification Of Transporters And Enzymes Required For Acetate Utilization In The Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus Neoformans, Perry L. Kezh

All Dissertations

Cryptococcus neoformans is the leading cause of fungal meningitis world-wide. While exposure to this environmental sporophyte is common during childhood, those who are immune compromised are at risk of infection. Following inhalation, this basidiomycetous fungus subsequently colonizes other organs though hematogenous dissemination, eventually crossing the blood brain barrier and colonizing the brain where it causes as cryptococcal meningitis. Changes in the availability of carbon sources stemming from the movement from soil to the lungs induce changes in fungal metabolism. Specifically, alveolar macrophages, which present a first line of defense against infection, provide a glucose-/amino acid-poor environment. As such, the use …

The Unique Gut Microbiome Of Giant Pandas Involved In Protein Metabolism Contributes To The Host's Dietary Adaption To Bamboo, Feilong Deng, Chengdong Wang, Desheng Li, Yunjuan Peng, Linhua Deng, Yunxiang Zhao, Zhihao Zhang, Ming Wei, Kai Wu, Jiangchao Zhao, Ying Li

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

The gut microbiota of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), a global symbol of conservation, are believed to be involved in the host’s dietary switch to a fibrous bamboo diet. However, their exact roles are still largely unknown.

Results

In this study, we first comprehensively analyzed a large number of gut metagenomes giant pandas (n = 322), including 98 pandas sequenced in this study with deep sequencing (Illumina) and third-generation sequencing (nanopore). We reconstructed 408 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), and 148 of which (36.27%) were near complete. The most abundant MAG was classified as Streptococcus alactolyticus. A …