Date of Award

Fall 12-12-2025

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. Steffanie Burk

Keywords

Streptomyces coelicolor, Antibiotic regulation, transposon insertion, microbial genetics

Subject Categories

Cell and Developmental Biology | Genetics and Genomics | Higher Education

Abstract

Streptomyces coelicolor is recognized as a model filamentous bacterial species that can be used to understand how streptomycetes and closely related filamentous bacteria develop in a morphological context (Hoskisson et al., 2019). Although Streptomyces coelicolor is a highly studied species, there are still many genes that are not yet characterized, with unknown functions in the genus. The goal of this research is to identify and characterize a novel developmental gene in Streptomyces coelicolor by analyzing a transposon insertion mutant generated using transposon mutagenesis. The methods utilized in this study were chromosomal DNA extraction, restriction digestion, ligation, inverse PCR, sequencing and bioinformatics to identify the transposon insertion site. Additional bioinformatics was also used to learn about the possible gene/protein function, including the construction of genetic maps, protein domain mapping, prediction of interacting partners, and protein modeling. The mutant displayed an overproduction of the blue pigmented antibiotic actinorhodin and heterogenous spore formation. The site of transposon insertion was identified in a gene which encodes a putative glycosyltransferase. This gene is in a potential operon with a second downstream gene, which encodes a hypothetical protein of unknown function. This two-gene operon is potentially involved in medium-dependent antibiotic regulation, with the possible mechanism of the downstream gene having an inhibitory effect on the upstream gene. The discovery of an antibiotic regulation gene is significant because it can inform future studies on the regulation of other antibiotics in other species.

Licensing Permission

Copyright, all rights reserved. Fair Use

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