Date of Award
Fall 7-31-2023
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Integrative Biology (MSIB)
Department
Biology
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Ramya Rajagopalan
Major Professor
Dr. Ramya Rajagopalan
Second Committee Member
Dr. Anton Bryantsev
Third Committee Member
Dr. Melanie Griffin
Fourth Committee Member
Dr. Nick Green
Abstract
Micropredators are a significant selective force driving the evolution of bacteria including human pathogens. Virulence factors and antibiotic resistance may have originated as a stress response mechanism for avoiding predators. Myxococcus xanthus is a micropredator for a wide variety of bacteria including clinically relevant human pathogens. We have tested the predatory ability of a laboratory reference strain of M. xanthus DK1622 against P. aeruginosa strain PAO1. We have found that live cells persist despite predation. The present study employs multi-sample time-lapse confocal microscopy to provide a clearer picture of this unique resistance response. Mixed cell assays showed statistically significant rejection of live prey and an increase in dead prey at the cellular level. Timelapse videos showed that ripple formation is inhibited at 48 hours. “Fold” deficient P. aeruginosa PAO1 strains clarified that M. xanthus is responsible for the appearance of the fold by showing complete blockage of M. xanthus motility after 48hr. Z-stacks revealed P. aeruginosa PAO1, and subtypes impede M. xanthus motility and form layers of M. xanthus atop P. aeruginosa PAO1 with smaller waves embedded in the prey spot at the site of the “fold”.
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Supplemental Video #5.wmv (8637 kB)
Included in
Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Commons, Integrative Biology Commons, Other Microbiology Commons