Date of Award

Spring 4-7-2025

Document Type

Distinction Paper

Degree Name

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-BS

Department

Biology & Earth Science

Advisor

Dr. Jennifer Bennett

First Committee Member

Dr. Jennifer Bennett

Second Committee Member

Dr. John Tansey

Third Committee Member

Dr. Ava Liu

Keywords

Streptomyces coelicolor, Streptomyces, cell divsion, ftsQ and ftsZ

Subject Categories

Higher Education | Microbiology

Abstract

Streptomyces coelicolor is a Gram-positive bacterial species from the genus Streptomyces, part of the largest bacterial phylum called Actinobacteria. Streptomyces species are renowned for their ability to produce antibiotics, including vancomycin, streptomycin, and chloramphenicol, making them highly valued in microbiology research. Uniquely, Streptomyces can continue to grow even after the deletion of critical cell division genes, such as ftsZ and ftsQ, which would typically halt septum formation in other bacterial species, resulting in death. These unusual characteristics highlight Streptomyces' versatility and resilience in surviving without cell division, presenting an intriguing subject for further study.

We have previously isolated several mutants that contain second-site suppressor mutations of an ftsQ-null S. coelicolor strain. The mutations can suppress the defects caused by the deletion of ftsQ, thereby restoring cell division and altering the bacterial colony color from blue to red. The primary objective of this research is to identify and characterize the ftsQ-null suppressor mutations and the corresponding genes along with their potential roles in cell division.

Previously our lab used whole genome sequencing to reveal that three of the different second-site suppressor mutations of the S. coelicolor ftsQ-null mutation were most likely located in the same gene. This gene is part of a two-component regulatory system that has not been associated with cell division previously. To aid in this field's advancement, we have extended experiments to showcase the potential for finding additional suppressors that have almost equal capabilities or have more efficiency than the original suppressor. These new findings can help us contribute to understanding bacterial cell division mechanisms and examine a novel role for the two-component system in cell division.

Licensing Permission

Copyright, all rights reserved. Fair Use

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