Thesis
Examination of Campylobacter jejuni putative adhesins leads to the identification of a new protein, designated FlpA, required for chicken colonization
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2009
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/101285
Abstract
Campylobacter jejuni colonization of chickens is presumably dependent upon multiple surface exposed proteins termed adhesins. Putative C. jejuni adhesins include CadF, CapA, JlpA, MOMP, PEB1, Cj1279c, and Cj1349c. We examined the genetic relatedness of ninety-seven C. jejuni isolates recovered from human, poultry, bovine, porcine, ovine, and canine sources by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and examined their profile of putative adhesin-encoding genes by dot blot hybridization. To assess the individual contribution of each protein in bacteria-host cell adherence, the C. jejuni genes encoding the putative adhesins were disrupted by insertional mutagenesis. The phenotype of each mutant was judged by performing in vitro cell adherence assays with chicken LMH hepatocellular carcinoma epithelial cells and in vivo colonization assays with broiler chicks. MLST analysis indicated that the C. jejuni isolates utilized in this study were genetically diverse. Dot blot hybridization revealed that the C. jejuni genes encoding the putative adhesins, with the exception of capA, were conserved amongst isolates. The C. jejuni CadF, CapA, Cj1279c, and Cj1349c proteins were found to play a significant role in the bacterium's in vitro adherence to chicken epithelial cells, while CadF, PEB1, and Cj1279c were determined to play a significant role in the bacterium's in vivo colonization of broiler chicks. Because Cj1279c promotes the binding of C. jejuni to host cells, plays a significant role in C. jejuni colonization of chickens, and harbors fibronectin type III domains, we have termed the product encoded by the Cj1279c gene FlpA for Fibronectin-like protein A.
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Details
- Title
- Examination of Campylobacter jejuni putative adhesins leads to the identification of a new protein, designated FlpA, required for chicken colonization
- Creators
- Rebecca Catherine Flanagan
- Contributors
- Michael E. Konkel (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Molecular Biosciences, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525014601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis