Weist, Genevieve
(2019)
Designing Biosensors to Detect the Activity of
Signaling Pathways during Host-Microbe Interactions.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
During chronic infections, pathogenic microbes colonize host environments by forming biofilms, a process that is orchestrated by signaling systems. These signaling systems, sensitive to both host and co-habitating bacteria, help to recruit individual microbes to the biofilm, selectively target and kill invasive microbes, and promote biofilm dispersal.1 Formation of bacterial biofilms in cystic fibrosis patients by Pseudomonas aeruginosa microbes triggers the transition from acute to chronic infection in compromised airways. Unfortunately, due to lack of direct methods to detect signaling activity in living cells, signals within signaling systems have been difficult to identify in P. aeruginosa. We propose the development of strategies to track the activity of bacterial signaling proteins to elucidate mechanisms of host-microbe interactions.
We aim to develop tools to determine the signals utilized in biofilm formation, visibly and instantaneously. To do so, we utilize dimerization dependent green fluorescent proteins (ddGFPs),2 circular permuted green fluorescent protein (cpGFP),3 and a fluorescent protein gene reporter as outputs of the two-component signaling system from P. aeruginosa. These biosensors will allow us to track the downstream activation of signaling systems and the corresponding biofilm formation in living cells.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
|
| Date: |
26 September 2019 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
9 November 2018 |
| Approval Date: |
26 September 2019 |
| Submission Date: |
20 August 2019 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
98 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Chemistry |
| Degree: |
MS - Master of Science |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Biofilm; biosensors; |
| Date Deposited: |
26 Sep 2019 18:04 |
| Last Modified: |
26 Sep 2019 18:04 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/37398 |
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