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Influence of Bacteriophage Lambda Gene P Expression On Host Escherichia coli Cells

dc.contributor.advisorHayes, Sidneyen_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberBull, Harolden_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberWilson, Joyceen_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberHoward, Peteren_US
dc.creatorBanerjee, Anirbanen_US
dc.date.accessioned2013-01-03T22:27:34Z
dc.date.available2013-01-03T22:27:34Z
dc.date.created2011-10en_US
dc.date.issued2011-11-18en_US
dc.date.submittedOctober 2011en_US
dc.description.abstractBacterial viruses have been an important tool for molecular biological discoveries. Bacteriophage is a bacterial virus that has been intriguing researchers for over five decades. But still, we are yet to answer many questions about bacteriophage . genes, O and P play an important role in replication initiation. P outcompetes host DnaC and recruits and directs DnaB helicase to the origin of replication, ori . My study shows that P expression is lethal to the host cell. The P-survivor cells were examined and were found to have chromosomal mutations. This led to the possibility that P protein may be involved in elevating the level of random mutations of the host chromosome. These studies explore this possibility. The influence of P expression on the appearance of chromosomal mutations was assessed by using rifampicin resistance, and auxotrophy as chromosomal targets. Cellular expression of P from a cryptic prophage or from a ColE1-type plasmid was employed in this study. Insertional inactivation of P by recombineering knocked out P-lethality and the potential mutator phenotype among the 42°C survivors. The apparent mutator phenotype was also lost in 42°C survivors upon induction of a cryptic prophage with wild-type O and an insertion in P. When wild-type gene P on a ColE1 plasmid was replaced by a deleted P or a mutated P (P ) gene, the rate of rifampicin resistance among the 37°C cfu was significantly lowered. These observations suggest that there might be a relation between P expression and the appearance of mutations among the P-survivors. My data also support and extend laboratory findings that two missense mutations in host dnaB knock out P-lethality and suppress the observed potential mutator phenotype. ColE1 plasmid loss occurred among the P-survivor cells when P was expressed from a ColE1 plasmid in a wild-type cell. My data suggested that the plasmid-less or cured rifampicin resistant mutants that arose upon thermal induction of P and the 594 rifampicin resistant mutants that arose in the absence of P expression were resistant to P-toxicity. However, my data showed that a 9 base pair deletion in the rpoB gene (mutation in rpoB confers rifampicin resistance iii phenotype to the cells) that affected 4 amino acids was sensitive to P-toxicity which proved that the deletion itself did not make the cells resistant to P-toxicity.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10388/ETD-2011-10-195en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.subjectBacteriophage Lambda, Escherichia coli, ColE1 plasmid, potential mutator phenotype, rifampicin resistance, auxotrophy, P-lethality.en_US
dc.titleInfluence of Bacteriophage Lambda Gene P Expression On Host Escherichia coli Cellsen_US
dc.type.genreThesisen_US
dc.type.materialtexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentMicrobiology and Immunologyen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineMicrobiology and Immunologyen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Saskatchewanen_US
thesis.degree.levelMastersen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.Sc.)en_US

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