Keywords
Borrelia burgdorferi; BB0244; BB0246; BBK41; BACTH; Bacterial Adenylate Cyclase Two-Hybrid
Abstract
As the cause of the most common vector-borne disease in the US, Borrelia burgdorferi continues to affect an estimated hundreds of thousands of patients each year. The spirochete boasts one of the most complex genomes in comparison to all other prokaryotes as it is fragmented across up to 21 different replicons. Moreover, the functions of a majority of the encoded genes remain unknown. Gene of unknown function, bb0244, along with putative co-transcribed genes bb0245, and bb0246 are hypothesized to be involved in the vital functions of cell division and cell wall biogenesis. B. burgdorferi lacking bb0244 demonstrate a significant growth and cell division defect. Gene bb0245 is annotated to encode a putative bactofilin protein and gene bb0246 is annotated to encode a putative murein DD-endopeptidase involved in peptidoglycan cleavage. Given the possible functional relatedness of the three encoded proteins, this study sought to identify protein-protein interactions between the target proteins themselves and additionally with any other B. burgdorferi proteins. The study was performed using a Bacterial Adenylate Cyclase Two-Hybrid System (BACTH) and a combination of screening/selection plates to confirm the results. In addition, genomic DNA libraries were used in conjunction with DNA sequencing in order to study potential interactions with other proteins across the B. burgdorferi genome. Ultimately the results of the study suggested that there is likely no direct interaction between BB0244 and BB0246. Further experiments did identify a possible interaction between BB0246 and BBK41. Ultimately, there is no doubt that understanding protein-protein interactions like these is imperative to fully understanding the B. burgdorferi genome and potentially aiding in the development of novel diagnostic tools and/or therapeutics.
Thesis Completion Year
2024
Thesis Completion Semester
Fall
Thesis Chair
Jewett, Mollie
College
College of Medicine
Department
Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences
Thesis Discipline
Biomedical Sciences
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Ruiz-Rodriguez, Christian J., "Genetic And Biochemical Analysis Of Novel Borrelia Burgdorferi Genes Bb0244 And Bb0246" (2024). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 179.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/179
Included in
Bacteria Commons, Biology Commons, Pathogenic Microbiology Commons
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