Major
Bioinformatics
Anticipated Graduation Year
2020
Access Type
Restricted Access
Abstract
In the last decade, several genomic studies have explored the bacterial and viral species that inhabit the urinary tract. This research has identified a resident community of bacteria and, subsequently, the accompanying bacteriophage within this niche. Our recent work cataloged the lysogenic phage population within the bacteria of the bladder. There we found that lysogenic phage sequences (prophages) were abundant. 66 strains of E. coli were isolated from the bladders of women with positive or negative UTI diagnosis. Strains were sequenced and lysogenic phages were identified using the tool VirSorter. Phages were also induced from these strains. We found no correlation between UTI diagnosis and prophage abundance or type. We identified over 400 lysogenic phage sequences within these strains. These prophages vary in genome size and coding regions signifying the diversity of viral species capable of infecting E. coli. Almost all of the clinical E. coli strains tested here produced viable phages.
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
Catherine Putonti
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Coliphage Diversity of the Female Urinary Microbiome
In the last decade, several genomic studies have explored the bacterial and viral species that inhabit the urinary tract. This research has identified a resident community of bacteria and, subsequently, the accompanying bacteriophage within this niche. Our recent work cataloged the lysogenic phage population within the bacteria of the bladder. There we found that lysogenic phage sequences (prophages) were abundant. 66 strains of E. coli were isolated from the bladders of women with positive or negative UTI diagnosis. Strains were sequenced and lysogenic phages were identified using the tool VirSorter. Phages were also induced from these strains. We found no correlation between UTI diagnosis and prophage abundance or type. We identified over 400 lysogenic phage sequences within these strains. These prophages vary in genome size and coding regions signifying the diversity of viral species capable of infecting E. coli. Almost all of the clinical E. coli strains tested here produced viable phages.