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Identifying Anti-Biofilm Mechanisms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bacteriophages
Date
2020
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Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
This bachelor thesis, “Identifying Anti-Biofilm Mechanisms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bacteriophages,” studied the molecular mechanisms of the bacteriophages of pathogen P. aeruginosa. A first analysis was directed on the interactions between the bacterium and an antibiofilm protein, gp7.1, encoded by bacteriophage LMA2. Identified interaction partners within the bacterium help understand the potentials the protein possesses and ultimately contribute to the design of small molecules that mimic the phage protein action in degrading biofilms. These could be used alongside antimicrobials in combating biofilm-related infections. A second analysis explored the effects of proteins from the bacteriophages of P. aeruginosa on the bacterium's twitching ability. Twitching is a motility which bacteria use at the start of biofilm formation to aggregate on a surface using their type IV pili. Therefore, the objective was to determine proteins that inhibit motility, thus inhibiting the forming of biofilm. Interacting host proteins of the identified anti-twitching proteins can be used for screening or designing small molecules with anti-biofilm activity, which can be administered with antimicrobials for the treatment of biofilm-related infections
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Keywords
biofilm, bacteriophage, phage protein, interacting host protein, twitching