Major
Molecular Biology
Anticipated Graduation Year
2021
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
The interactions of microbiota in the urinary tract may give rise to disease formation and progression. Escherichia coli is widely studied for its association with UTIs and other urological diseases. Many urinary E. coli strains harbor bacteriophages (phages) within their genomes. Generally speaking, phagesdrive bacterial evolution and diversity. They also can carry genes coding for virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, and toxins, thus contributing to their host’s overall fitness and community interactions. The role of E. coli-infecting phages within the urinary tract is unknown. We were able to induce phage from urinary isolates of E. coli. These phages were plated on other urinary E. coli strains in order to determine their host range. Our results suggest that coliphages likely play a role in shaping the diversity and abundance of E. coli within the urinary tract.
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
Dr. Catherine Putonti, Faculty Mentor/PI, Department of Biology, Bioinformatics Program
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Bacteriophage Characterization of Isolates from the Human Urinary Microbiome
The interactions of microbiota in the urinary tract may give rise to disease formation and progression. Escherichia coli is widely studied for its association with UTIs and other urological diseases. Many urinary E. coli strains harbor bacteriophages (phages) within their genomes. Generally speaking, phagesdrive bacterial evolution and diversity. They also can carry genes coding for virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, and toxins, thus contributing to their host’s overall fitness and community interactions. The role of E. coli-infecting phages within the urinary tract is unknown. We were able to induce phage from urinary isolates of E. coli. These phages were plated on other urinary E. coli strains in order to determine their host range. Our results suggest that coliphages likely play a role in shaping the diversity and abundance of E. coli within the urinary tract.