Date of Award
2016
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Microbiology and Immunology
Abstract
The pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus encounters a variety of immune cells that restrict bacterial growth and dissemination during infection. However, S. aureus counters these immune cell functions by producing myriad virulence factors that facilitate evasion of host defenses. Therefore, it is important to understand S. aureus-immune cell interactions and the virulence factors that perturb normal immune function to promote pathogenesis. In a genetic screen designed to identify S. aureus secreted factors that modulate macrophage activity our lab identified a transposon insertion mutant in the gene SAUSA300_1984, encoding a putative membrane spanning peptidase. To investigate the role of 1984 in pathogenesis, I generated a Δ1984 mutant and found it behaves like a quorum sensing system mutant, Δagr. The Agr system requires proper processing of a signaling peptide, AgrD, including cleavage of its N-terminus by an unknown peptidase. Given this information, I hypothesized that 1984 is a peptidase involved in processing AgrD.
Recommended Citation
White, Chelsea Rose, "Defining the Role of a Putative Peptidase in Staphylococcus Aureus Quorum Sensing and Pathogenesis" (2016). Master's Theses. 3572.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/3572
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2016 Chelsea Rose White
