| Summary |
Quorum sensing has been shown to control the expression of virulence genes using a two component regulatory system of autoinducer and transcriptional activator protein. Under normal conditions the autoinducer molecule produced by the bacterial cell diffuses and accumulates in the environment during growth. When optimal concentrations are reached, the autoinducer binds a transcriptional activator protein that induces expression of specific genes. For our study we have constructed two truncated rhlR genes (ArhlR) which do not encode the region necessary for autoinducer binding. We have tested the ability of the ARhlR proteins to induce the genes rhlA and lasB which have been shown to be controlled by RhlR. Sequence analysis revealed our truncated genes do not contain any mutations and they were fused in fi-ame with the vector sequence. These truncated genes are capable of producing a protein as shown by SDSPAGE anaylsis, but the protein does not induce lasB-lacZ or rhlA-lacZ fusions as shown by p-galactosidase assays. |
| General note | Submitted to the faculty of the Department of Biology. |
| General note | Advisor: Everett C. Pesci |
| Dissertation note | M.S. East Carolina University 2000 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-56). |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |
