Date of Graduation

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Biology

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Biological Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Ivey, D. Mack

Committee Member

Dowling, Ashley

Second Committee Member

Walker, Kate

Third Committee Member

Stauss, Kim

Abstract

Clostridioides difficile is a major cause of severe gastrointestinal infections and diseases, particularly in healthcare settings. Because of its ability to produce infectious endospores by sporulation, the protein SpoIIE, which is known to play a role in the regulation of this process, is being explored as a potential therapeutic target. In order to gain better insight into the structure and function of this protein, a concentrated and purified sample of the protein must be obtained. The goal of this study was to determine the conditions that would yield the highest amount of SpoIIE. The density of the cultures of bacteria prior to induction with L-arabinose in addition to the time of exposure to the sugar were tested to see if they resulted in overexpression of the protein. While the density did not produce significant results, six hours of exposure to L-arabinose was shown to yield the greatest increase in expression. Optimization of the conditions to obtain the greatest amount of protein will contribute to future studies of this protein, ultimately providing insight into the structure and function of SpoIIE.

Keywords

C. difficile; bacteria; SpoIIE; sporulation

Download

Share

COinS